Microsoft Planning to Bring Xbox 360 Classics to PC and Next-Gen Hardware

Microsoft is preparing to expand its backward compatibility push by allowing game developers to port Xbox 360 titles to PCs, upcoming handhelds, and next-generation Xbox hardware, according to internal documents sent to developers and obtained by The Verge.

The initiative builds on a strategy announced earlier this summer that brought an initial wave of original Xbox games to PC. Under the expanded framework, classic Xbox 360 games will be capable of running across "Xbox PCs", handheld devices, and Microsoft's upcoming Project Helix hardware, which is a next-gen system designed to play PC software natively.

Rather than a forced rollout, developers will have full discretion over whether to participate. Game creators who opt in will retain complete control over pricing, digital distribution, and whether their titles join the Xbox Game Pass catalog.

Rollout Timeline and Emulation Tech

While Microsoft plans a full PC launch for original Xbox backward compatibility, complete with system achievement support in October 2026, the Xbox 360 rollout will take longer to materialize.

Eligible Xbox 360 releases are expected to begin a gradual launch between 2027 and 2028 across next-generation hardware ecosystems.

Data miners previously uncovered clues pointing toward these plans within recent Microsoft PC updates. Files contained the official console emulators used on Xbox One and Series X/S hardware:

Xe03 (Fission): The primary emulator used to run Xbox 360 software on modern console architecture.
XeFu (Fusion): An internal sub-emulator designed to run original Xbox titles on updated platforms and PC environments.

How the 'Disc-to-Digital' System Works

As the games industry faces growing anxiety over physical media, which has been highlighted by Sony's planned phaseout of physical discs by January 2028 and digital-only boxed releases like Grand Theft Auto 6, Microsoft is testing a new system to preserve access for physical disc owners.

The leaked documentation details a disc-to-digital program aimed at bridging physical ownership with digital-only hardware like Project Helix:

Under the proposed system, inserting a physical Xbox One or Xbox Series X game into a compatible console drive generates a digital license bound to "that disc and the player's account."
Crucially, if the physical disc is resold or traded, digital access shifts to the new owner: "that disc and the player's account." However, should a disc be traded with someone else, digital ownership can be swapped to that person.

This setup ensures players can still trade used games while maintaining access across non-disc hardware, provided the original disc is transferred. Although a public beta for Xbox Insiders was originally targeted for July ahead of an August launch, the trial encountered minor delays, leaving the precise rollout timeline unconfirmed.