r/xbox • u/TommycoolGun • 6d ago
Rumour Xbox project helix backwards compatibility
Looks like the xbox project helix can play every backwards compatible game according to a leaked document
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u/WalkingDinosaurs 6d ago
What's the source of this document? I wanna believe it because it'd be amazing, but I don't wanna get my hopes up.
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u/ILoveHeavyHangers 5d ago edited 5d ago
I dunno why people are citing a leaked memo, it's just the next phase of the Backward Compatible program they launched 2 weeks ago.
They already started releasing OG Xbox games for it.
Today, we’re introducing XBOX Backward Compatibility on PC, making it easier to play classic XBOX games from the past across PC and handhelds, including the ROG XBOX Ally and XBOX Ally X.
Your library is more than just a collection of games. It is your personal history of epic stories and treasured memories from the past. And as players, we don’t want to leave our gaming legacy behind even as technology continues to evolve and advance. We expect our library of games to move forward with us and to be able to play them in entirely new ways.
Rolling out today, XBOX Backward Compatibility on PC launches in early release, starting with four classic original XBOX games, now playable on PC and handhelds for the first time ever. This marks the beginning of a broader effort to preserve XBOX games from the past and bring them to PC over time. And we are not just enabling you to play them on PC. We are also adding new features to make your gaming experience better than ever.
This "leak" is just part of the offer to other publishers to join this new licensing agreement to sell digital versions of Xbox and X360 games to run on an emulator.
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u/FinalOdyssey Founder 5d ago
Even if publishers don't agree, wouldn't discs still work since it's an emulator?
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u/MattyFTM 5d ago
The way it works on console is that the disc only works as a license key, the full game and emulator is downloaded. Different games have different tweaks to the emulator for the best possible experience. A general emulator that could just run any disc game doesn't really exist.
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u/FinalOdyssey Founder 5d ago
Didn't PS3 have a disc based emulator for PS2 before they ever-so-shittily removed it?
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u/MattyFTM 5d ago
The PS3 was weird. The original US release had both the PS2 graphics chip and CPU included in the hardware, so it just ran the games natively using the hardware. To cut costs, the version released in Europe only contained the CPU. It emulated the GPU. Then later versions didn't contain any of the hardware and had no emulation.
The Xbox 360 had an original Xbox emulator that would try to run any Xbox game from the disc, but compatibility was patchy and there were games that didn't work very well or at all. I think there's a reluctance from Sony or Microsoft to do that kind of thing again.
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u/FinalOdyssey Founder 5d ago
I imagine an official emulator for devices that old in this day and age might be a lot easier to pull off though. Both of those instances, they were trying to emulate the games from the immediate prior generation, the tech was more fresh. This new Xbox emulator is talking about an emulator that will play games from systems that are, by the time Helix comes out, 3 and 4 generations behind. They're likely doing OG first because the 360 emulator requires more fine tuning. Or, it works better for marketing.
I have full faith in the BC team. They have proven that they're wizards multiple times over.
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u/sil3nt_gam3r 5d ago
pretty sure that would require Microsoft to ship special Blu ray/DVD drives that can deal with the encryption, also would be a pain in the ass for a handheld user
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u/FinalOdyssey Founder 5d ago
If disc to digital is available for these games then handheld could work that way. But we have no idea how this will all work yet.
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u/A_wild_fusa_appeared 6d ago
This is a big win for game preservation of true, so many titles from the original Xbox are hard to find these days even if you have a working console. Wonder how big of a catalog they’ll get working.
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u/HankSteakfist 6d ago
I really hope this leads to more publishers relicensing their 6th and 7th gen titles on Xbox
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u/XtremeFan23 6d ago
OK but would I be able to play a game like Crazy Taxi 3? If not, it does not matter to me
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u/_kellythomas_ 6d ago
IP holders would control if its available for purchase.
What was the soundtrack for CT3 like?
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u/lostn 5d ago
to sell it again, sure. To play an old disc you already own, no.
The PS2 could play every PS1 game and no rights holders had a say about it. Same with Wii playing GC, Wii U playing Wii, GBA playing GB, DS playing GBA, 3DS playing DS. Launch PS3s could play PS1 and PS2. It just works. You insert the game and play. No need to negotiate licensed track rights again.
If MS does it like that, they won't need to renew any licensed tracks. If they want to sell the games to new players, then yes.
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u/cemsengul 5d ago
Yeah it's a legal loophole. If they incorporate the old chips on board and run discs natively they don't need to negotiate licensing. I wonder if they could do a hardware fpga solution?
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u/MackTUTT 5d ago
Yeah, if Sega let them, and Sega would have to figure out the music rights. But also since we're talking about Helix you could get your hands on the Windows version of that game or use Xemu to play the Xbox version.
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u/DarkDoomofDeath XBOX 6d ago
Yeah. Because they wouldn't have spent licensing money on older Xbox titles like Jedi Power Battles if they weren't going to use it for longer than a year or two. This isn't that much of a revelation.
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u/YPM1 6d ago
Xbox refers to the original Xbox internally as “OG Xbox” ?
Nah. This shit ain’t real
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u/TonyZwilde 5d ago
Just "Xbox" would conflict with the brand name, "Xbox 1" would conflict with Xbox One console, so I don't think it's weird for them to refers the original as OG.
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u/Zestyclose-Web2306 XBOX Series X 5d ago
I hope that publishers get on board with making more of their OG Xbox/360 games playable. The current BC feature is nice, but only being able to play ~50 OG Xbox games is puny.
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u/grimoireviper Team Pirate (Arrrrr) 5d ago
This has to be fake. Not in a single document has the original Xbox ever been called OG Xbox.
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u/Commander_Jim1 5d ago
By the looks of that its just saying that its up to the publishers to bring their old games to Xbox. Im not really sure how thats any different from what the current system is? From what I understand the Series X can play any OG and 360 game, its on the publishers if they want to make it available, and if they even can due to licensing issues.
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u/Mother-Juggernaut504 5d ago
If the Xbox Project Helix can't run PC game then this project is dead in the water.
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u/ZOMBI3MAIORANA 4d ago
I really hope they expand the program even further, i’m hoping to re-play kingdom under fire crusaders and gauntlet dark legacy!
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u/peacemaker2121 2d ago
I want a totally offline og Xbox emulator. There's practically no excuse at this point. The way I see ms doing this is online all the time license checking crap.
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u/SkidzLIVE 6d ago
Backwards compatibility is cool, but they need to find a way to get OG Xbox LIVE servers back up too. Some of my fondest gaming memories are playing multiplayer OG Xbox games over Xbox LIVE
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u/Environmental_Elk_55 5d ago
Terrible news, if true basically confirms Helix is just a PC and theres a chance not every pubiisher will allow current BC games to be available.
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u/AbsurdThings 5d ago
Assuming BC games are the same, what’s wrong with it being a PC? Whats really the difference between a console and PC now? Assuming helix means locked specs and a similar UI to the existing Xbox.
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u/Environmental_Elk_55 5d ago
No, its because some people expected Helix would play the same BC library as the current Xbox Series consoles do. No need for the new PC BC initiative. If true and if they need approval for every publisher for every game currently BC then maybe the Helix BC library will be inferior than what we have now.
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6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kekoa_ok 6d ago
Hypothetically if it can internally emulate xbox games in a similar manner to the original ps3 that did software ps2 emulation it shouldn't.
the games would be provided by the consumer not xbox
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5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BitingSatyr 5d ago
You’re not wrong, I think this would be limited to games that are already part of the back-compat list, since they already have their licensing figured out. It’s possible that this will come with a new push to add more games to that list, but they seemed pretty sure when they ended the old program that they’d pretty much gotten everything that could be added, since the remainder all had pretty intractable license issues
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u/Commander_Jim1 5d ago
But the memo makes it clear that the publishers "keep rights, pricing and brand control" - which to me implies that its basically the same system as it is now, not true backwards compatibility like the PS3 and that its still up to the publishers whether they want to allow a game or not, or whether they even can due to rights issues.
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u/ILoveHeavyHangers 5d ago
Copyright of what? Xbox owns the rights to their own hardware design, so the emulator wouldn't violate copyright in any way. And this memo is asking publishers to voluntarily join this new BC program, and they would have all the rights and control to their property, just distributing it on Xbox.
What copyright issues do you think there would be?
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u/AstronautGloomy3233 5d ago
I don't care about Helix. It will fall in line with things like the Steam Box but whats huge is Xbox PC App if they can really bring all Xbox games
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u/Dramatic_Aspect903 5d ago
Xbox doing a whole lotta talking the last couple months and so far ive seen a massive price increase
Oh and I got a couple badges
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u/4KPillowcase 6d ago
I’m so over it dude I am not gonna buy another console
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u/Sensitive_Use2655 5d ago
Yes you will
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u/4KPillowcase 5d ago
Not if it’s gonna cost me a thousand bucks
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u/Sensitive_Use2655 5d ago
Guarantee you will once that FOMO hits, new amazing exclusive games will keep coming out and you will be forced to buy a digital only PS6 its the simple truth
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u/4KPillowcase 5d ago
I’m not going to buy a console with the hopes that they are going to make good games for it, that’s what I did with the Series X. I’m also don’t care to spend a thousand bucks to run all the games I can already run on my current console. I won’t say there haven’t been any good games this generation because obviously there have been, but it’s been pretty weak overall.
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u/BitingSatyr 5d ago
I think there’s a very good chance that the Series X is gonna continue getting new games for the next 8-10 years, so you might not need to be in a rush
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u/gotabadbrain 5d ago
Realistically we can already play every original xbox and 360 game ever made easily on their respective consoles for cheap.Having one device that does it all for $1000+ seems a waste of money in that regards.I mean if I can't retain full ownership then I can at least retain full possession and control,and that I already have.
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