The infamous Xbox One era was a pretty dark time for Microsoft’s gaming brand, but it wasn’t without its glittering bright spots in the doom and gloom. Aside from the introduction of Xbox Game Pass in 2017, the most impactful of these was the start of the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program in 2015.
Xbox users quickly grew extremely passionate about backwards compatibility and have remained so ever since, as the ability to play older Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles on modern consoles enables the preservation of classic games we’d struggle to enjoy on today’s hardware otherwise. Over 600 titles were made backwards compatible, but Microsoft stopped planning new additions in 2021 due to licensing issues.
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This happened again, this time with Aegis Wing and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. What’s happening 👀?Meanwhile, Mars: War Logs (X360) got delisted unannounced. https://t.co/2eKp2ZnvvI pic.twitter.com/cwykCPFSFCApril 3, 2026
Store errors like these have been known to happen on occasion, and if only one or two had occurred, people probably wouldn’t have thought much of it. The fact that four delisted Xbox and Xbox 360 games have gone live for a short time in such a narrow timeframe, however, has many wondering if there’s something deeper happening here.
Indeed, since we know Microsoft is reviving the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program in some fashion, there’s speculation that the publisher has leaked some of the older titles that will soon be playable on Xbox Series X|S (and Xbox One) devices. That’s just a guess, of course, but given the proximity and frequency of these erroneous relistings, it arguably has merit.
With that said, it hasn’t been confirmed that the return of Xbox Backwards Compatibility will add new games to the existing library of titles that support it. All we know is that Microsoft is “rolling out new ways to play,” which could mean the ability to play older Xbox games on different platforms.
Specifically, with the PC-console hybrid Project Helix expected to come in 2027 or 2028 and an “Xbox mode” coming to Windows 11 PCs this month, many believe the firm will soon unveil a way to play Xbox and Xbox 360 games on PC and Windows handhelds like the Xbox Ally. That would be a massive upgrade to Xbox Backwards Compatibility, and lay the groundwork for supporting it on Project Helix.
That, too, is just speculation, though I’d argue it’s extremely likely due to the nature of Project Helix. Even if that’s ultimately why the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program is coming back, though, I do hope its team can add some more games to its catalog as well.
🗨️ Which Xbox games do you wish were backwards compatible?
Even if the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program isn’t necessarily coming back to bring new games to its library, the chance that it may be doing so is very exciting. It also makes me curious to hear from you: which Xbox or Xbox 360 games do you wish were backwards compatible?
Share some of your favorite titles with me that still aren’t in the comments, as I’d love to read about the games you used to play.
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