Thursday, May 28th 2020
Xbox Series X to Support "Thousands of Games at Launch" Thanks to Backwards Compatibility
Microsoft today announced that when it launches sometime in Holiday 2020, the Xbox Series X next-generation entertainment system will support "thousands of games" at launch. This is thanks to the console retaining compatibility with all older Xbox generation, not just the Xbox One, but also the Xbox 360 and the very fist Xbox. This is thanks to translation layers that let you play the older games on the latest hardware. In some cases, the Xbox Series X can add HDR, and turn up frame-rates to 120 FPS on some of the older games. The Xbox Series X will have several Microsoft Studios exclusives at launch, with the company reporting that all its 15 studios are busy developing exclusives. Several games launched in the past few years for the Xbox One X could receive content upgrades to the Xbox Series X to leverage its hardware.
Source:
Microsoft
37 Comments on Xbox Series X to Support "Thousands of Games at Launch" Thanks to Backwards Compatibility
Even if PS5 got a better SSD to load graphics instantly the games from third party developers won't be better on the PS5.
They always use the lowest common denominator when hardware is so close in performance, they will develop for XBOX Series X and then just port it over to PS5.
Maybe some PS5 first party titles will use the enhanced features but it will not be enuf to beat Microsoft.
Microsoft have their own cloud infrastructure for gaming, Mixer streaming that will be heavily integrated with XBOX Series X and PC AND if you buy XBOX Series X game you will get the PC version free.
Also Sony is buying it's cloud infrastructure capacity for gaming from Microsoft, so Microsoft got a massive upper hand this time around.
*looks at the 360 which only offered backwards compatibility on a tiny selection of Xbox games*
*microsoft has decades of experience, sony is relatively new*
Oi captain, you sure about that? You could make the argument that MS has more experience thanks to windows, but that sure didnt help the 360 play OG Xbox games, and even Xbone compatibility is highly selective with the 360. MS has only used the VM-for-game-engines method since the Xbone came out, not even a decade ago.
The Xbox 360 and Xbox One does not have this advantage and relies on emulation, wrappers, re-compilation, and hypervisor layers to mention the techniques they use.
With that said Sony eventually relied on the same methods as Microsoft for backwards compatibility because the consoles architectures between generations were so vastly different (and the PS2 SOC was quickly removed to save on costs). Things are different now though since we will now have two console generations sharing architecture.
While it was backwards compatable it didn't actually work with all PS2 titles, I have at least one PS2 game that it doesn't work with and the list of PS2 games it works with is kinda short, shorter than you'd think TBH.
It also has a chip for PSX games too inside.
I can't say about the slim models but all the original fat models regardless have the PSX chip and I've yet to see or note any PSX games that will not work with it.
Speaking of the new Xbox, I'd not get hopes way up over it, therre may be some limitations on how backwards compatable it will be once released but you'd have to think it probrably won't be a problem period.
Time will tell once it's out.
The PSX controller was used for the blu-ray drive's controller, so all PS3s can play all PS1 games. Well to correct me there you'd have to point to where I said the PS2/3 DIDNT use the old hardware (hint: I never said this). My point was that Sony is not new to backwards compatibility, they've been doing it for decades. They did it in a different manner then MS does it, but lets not pretend that Sony has never done backwards compatibility.
Better just have both PS2 & PS3 on my shelf. :D
BC has really never been what I’d call ideal. PS5 and XSX keep the same CPU architecture, so this issue may finally be solved. However, are these new generation consoles really a new generation? I kinda get the impression they are more being marketed as premium variants of the current crop, and that PS5/XSX games will also play on PS4/XO consoles, just with lesser graphics.
Let’s not forget Nintendo here. I think they just want you to have a wall of consoles anymore.
..every backwards compatible game is an opportunity for lost revenue in 'remaster' sales. Nintendo is the same, its a 'Japanese' thing.
I think the best you can hope for on BC is just a stable experience. Most studios aren’t interested in going back to rework old titles, unless they still have a way to make more money on them. It’s just how businesses are run, and I can’t think of many studios that go back and spend developer time on a game that has essentially run its course. I can see them doing a “remastered edition” of classic games, for those that wish to see the classics with advanced visuals, but they will want you to pay again. Hopefully MS and Sony built something into their API where this can be automatic with generational hardware bumps. Even if it’s just as simple as upscaling or higher FPS. Hoping studios will revisit legacy titles is a long shot, IMO.
The difference will be like standard quality on PS5, next but lower will be ultra-high on something like Navi 21 and Ryzen 9 3950X, and next will be medium on something like Navi 23 and Ryzen 5 3600X.www.cnet.com/news/epic-unreal-engine-5-i-got-first-look-ps5-now-im-believer/
Sony doesn't need to do this, they just give us new content. In spades. Every gen. Not that I disagree backwards compatibility should be a thing for them too, but let's not forget the market reality here. You get nice things because they need you to pony up something with dollar signs on it.
But that doesn't mean other platforms on completely different CPU and graphics IP can't and don't exist.