As the second successor to the original Xbox console, the Xbox 360, officially launched in 2005, remains Microsoft’s most successful game console to this day. Not only did it feature renowned exclusive titles such as Halo 3 and Gears of War that established the Microsoft Studios brand, but it also achieved sales of 80 million units over its lifecycle. Now, Microsoft is reportedly planning to give PC players a way to revisit many of this console’s classic titles.
Considering that backward compatibility has always been one of Xbox’s most important strategies, Microsoft has continued to work on making classic games from previous generations playable on the current Xbox Series X|S platform, offering various ways to do so. As of now, players can still play original Xbox and Xbox 360 games through physical discs, purchase many older games on the Microsoft Store, or enjoy them through Xbox Game Pass.
Additionally, some classic games from the original Xbox have recently made their way to PC, such as *Crimson Skies* and *Blinx: The Time Sweeper*. However, Microsoft seems to want to go even further by extending this PC support to the Xbox 360’s game lineup.
According to The Verge, Microsoft is currently planning to expand the backward compatibility range of Xbox 360 games and eventually bring the entire lineup to PC. Since many Xbox 360 games never received PC versions at the time, this new plan has a good chance of attracting more new players. To that end, Microsoft has reportedly begun discussions with third-party partners, and will leave the decision on game pricing up to them.
Although this rumor has not yet been confirmed, it is not surprising given that Microsoft has recently brought some original Xbox games to PC. In addition, many players also speculate that these Xbox 360 games coming to PC may support the “Xbox Play Anywhere” feature, meaning players only need to purchase the game on an Xbox console to play it directly on desktop or handheld PC devices, without having to purchase a separate version again.
Unfortunately, Microsoft Xbox has never delivered particularly impressive results in the current-generation console market, completely unable to compete with PlayStation or Nintendo. Over the past few years, Microsoft attempted to bring its games, such as *Halo: Combat Evolved* and *Forza Horizon 6*, to the PlayStation platform, which frustrated many loyal fans. However, this strategy appears to have been put on hold with the arrival of new CEO Asha Sharma.
Even so, PC remains another platform that Microsoft’s Xbox team is actively developing, and if this rumor is true, it would surely let players who owned an Xbox 360 back then relive the classics, or let PC players who never bought that console experience some of Microsoft’s highly acclaimed first-party hits.
The report currently does not disclose which Xbox 360 games will be the first to launch on PC, so players will still need to patiently wait for further updates until Microsoft makes an official announcement. If these classic titles can rekindle fond memories of the Xbox brand among players, it would undoubtedly be a positive strategy. At the same time, with game development costs continuing to rise, bringing some classic titles from the previous generation back to the PC platform could also generate additional revenue for the Xbox division and improve profitability, which would of course help rebuild the brand image that Xbox has seen gradually weaken in recent years.
Source: KOCPC Chinese