It’s a Merry Christmas in the world of gaming. Microsoft released emulation layer for the Xbox One earlier this year. 16 old titles from the Xbox360 make a return to the Xbox One. The new titles are a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a few hits and duds, but it’s a good addition to the existing library of games.
The releases are as follows:
Braid
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Doritos Crash Course
Fable III
Halo: Reach
Hydro Thunder
Iron Brigade
Kane & Lynch 2
Motocross Madness
MS.PAC-MAN
Peggle
Portal: Still Alive
Spelunky
Splosion Man
Ticket to Ride
Zuma’s Revenge!
Players must own the games they wish to emulate. They can do so by buying a physical copy. They can also buy from Xbox One’s digital market place. Xbox One can read Xbox360 discs. Buying physical copies isn’t an issue. The emulation layer is capable of impressive and faster load times and less buffering.
Extending this emulation software could solve the orphaned console problem. The Xbox 360’s backwards compatibility with the original Xbox was a mixed bag. Sony has no plans to implement backwards compatibility with the PS3 as part of the PS4. Sony has brought PS2 emulation to PS4 but it hasn’t been advertised as agressively as Microsoft. Hopefully Sony can provide backwards emulation for other titles soon.
Obtaining a working software to run older games is an issue. Once games become too old, newer consoles can’t run the older software. By making all purchases digital, it prevents old titles becoming abandonware. By maintaining disc compatibility with emulation support, future Microsoft Libraries could maintain sufficient library support.
Microsoft is listening to player feedback on which titles to emulate next, so if you’ve got a favorite, visit XboxUserVoice and vote for it. Hopefully an old classic will be hanging in your holiday stocking this year.
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