Xbox chief 'remains committed' to backwards compatibility

We all know that Xbox is preparing for some kind of digital-first future. With products like Xbox Series S (And the leaked Xbox Series), and services like Xbox Game Pass and Some games forego physical discs entirelyIt seems that the gaming giant is ready for games to become completely digital, and unlike physical games, Digital technologies can unceremoniously disappear – and they often do. Despite this fact, Xbox hasn't given up on preserving gaming just yet, with President Sarah Bond reaffirming the company's commitment to preserving Xbox gaming for the foreseeable future.

Read more: Leak of all-digital Xbox hardware raises game preservation concerns

In an email sent to employees and review it Windows CentralBond discussed several Xbox-related topics, including the company's plans to build hardware that will represent “the biggest technology leap ever seen in a single generation,” and how Xbox became the No. 1 platform for… Diablo IV After its release on Game Pass and The company's efforts to innovate in the field of artificial intelligence for games. This email also contains some points about backward compatibility and game preservation, with Bond revealing that Xbox has a dedicated team for these matters.

“We've formed a new team dedicated to preserving games, which is important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself,” Bond said. “We are building on our strong history of offering backwards compatibility for our players, and remain committed to delivering the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of gamers to enjoy.”

This is an interesting sentiment coming from Xbox. The company has done an excellent job of keeping older Xbox games playable until now. Thanks to backward compatibility, a feature that has been present in every Xbox console since its inception, you can play many OG Xbox games on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S without any major problem. but, The Xbox 360 Marketplace will be shut down On July 29, Endangering a number of games that are not yet backward compatible. Meanwhile, some European retailers have done so It has reportedly stopped selling Xbox games, which will inevitably make it difficult for UK gamers to get their favorite Xbox games on disc. And with the imminent release of Xbox Serieswhich will eliminate the drive entirely this summer, there A real fear of preserving and owning the game It will be a thing of the past. This is especially true when you think How many old games have been lost over time.

Kotaku We have reached out to Xbox for comment.

Read more: Xbox Boss wants to preserve gaming while threatening gaming preservation

In light of all this, the team's task is very difficult. We don't have long to see how this commitment will work, as it is the case for both of them the edge And Windows CentralXbox will reportedly have more to say about preserving the game during its annual Xbox Showcase on July 9.