Xbox One Will Not Be Backwards Compatible with Xbox 360

[expanded package]

The 360 played Xbox games through software emulation, so really the only excuse here is Microsoft doesn't want to put the money into that development. Also you'd think it'd be much easier making Xbox games run on Xbox One because the Xbox was running a Pentium. It'd be nice to be able to play Rallisport Challenge 2 again without hooking up the original Xbox

 

[captaincharisma]

no backwards compatibility is BS. they were able to do it last time and that was going from x86 to powerPC. there should be no reason they couldn't do it again

 

[alextheblue]

I have never seen this as a big deal... mostly because you can typically snag an emulator for PC and run your old console games that way. You only need the latest gen console to run the latest games, at that point. The only minor annoyance would be the loss of access to a few digital XBLA games I own if I got rid of my 360 eventually. But the system isn't out yet... who knows, they could work with developers to port their titles over, or eventually offer them streamed. I've seen conflicting information on this, so I'll wait and see.

 

[einric]

#1 C'Mon Tom's it's not a Xenon processor it's a XEON!
#2 Way to go Microsoft going from a x64 Xeon to an x86? Or is this just a piss poor excuse for lazy system design?

 

[timw03878]

In other news.... Every Nintendo system of recent memory has been fully backwards backwards compatible.
Gotta love the sheep that keep buying low quality hardware.
Maybe this xbox won't set the carpet on fire.

 

[captaincharisma]

#1 C'Mon Tom's it's not a Xenon processor it's a XEON!
#2 Way to go Microsoft going from a x64 Xeon to an x86? Or is this just a piss poor excuse for lazy system design?

they are all x86. x64 is just an instruction set x86 CPU's use. if x64 was a CPU on its own today's PC's wouldn't be able to run any 32-bit programs. the xbox 360 used a power PC arciteture not x86/64. although the original xbox did

dont run your mouth when you have no idea what you are talking about

 

[Jvanleuvan]

The 360 doesn't run on a XEON, which is an intel server chip, it runs on a xenon, a specialized chip just for the 360, it's RISC based in-order chip. Which is completely different from a x86 based out-of-order chip like the Xbox one's. so unless this new chip has significantly more power than the xenon, it probably won't be able to run an emulator well enough.
And, yes PCs are far better than a game console at running games, if you are a technically inclined person, which most of the populace is not. Also, this idea that an equivalent pc is cheaper is probably not true, while we don't know the price of this console yet, it will probably start at $499(though that is a guess). And that doesn't buy you much of a gaming pc at all. You can barely get an entry level, integrated graphics pc for that (or maybe build one yourself)
And this doesn't include all the other entertainment features you get with the Xbox. It would have to be one tricked out pc to play live tv, switch back and forth to games, movies,etc. all with voice control.
And, with a game console, you can just go to the store and buy any game for the console and it will work. Never having to update directX, get newer drivers, fend off viruses, or upgrade your video card.
Which the VAST majority of people have NO IDEA how to do.
This is why consoles sell so well.

 

[nekromobo]

"which packs a Xenon processor" I would correct this to "which packs a 3.2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core "Xenon" processor"
For all the 5760x1080 PC-kiddies:
http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/
0.08% of people using that resolution or better..
For 500 its a way better deal than PC for living room use.

 

[scrumworks]

Xenon was a good game on Amiga but not an xbox GPU.

 

[hardcore_player]

sorry Microsoft but this time i won't buy your new console ill stick to my 360 , and maybe buy a ps4 since Sony may offer some backward comparability . ill play next gen games on my PC and PS4.thanks for disappointing your fans .
PS: remember what happened when MS announced that the 360 won't be backward compatible in 2005 .

 

[hardcore_player]

Quote :
"When we specifically asked Whitten whether the company had any streaming option or download option for existing Xbox 360 games for the Xbox One," wrote The Verge's Sean Hollister, "he confirmed that there was no such thing in the works at Microsoft."
oh yeah !!! ??? you better be thinking of some solutions for that or i won't buy your crappy VCR .

 

[hardcore_player]

Quote :
"When we specifically asked Whitten whether the company had any streaming option or download option for existing Xbox 360 games for the Xbox One," wrote The Verge's Sean Hollister, "he confirmed that there was no such thing in the works at Microsoft."
oh yeah !!! ??? you better be thinking of some solutions for that or i won't buy your crappy VCR .

 

[cj_online]

Gets better and better every day. Aiming for 1080p gaming in an era of 2560 x 1600 and 5760 x 1200 PC standards, soon looking to 4k tvs.
No backwards compatibility. High price.
Maybe more people will wake up, stop getting pissed on by these consoles and get a proper PC. ffs.

Are you on crack? Most PC gamers still play on 1080p. MOST people (yes including most PC gamers) don't have the $700 lying around to get a dual GTX 680 solution.

But they have $500 for a console, plus every single new game that comes out and is drastically over-priced compared to PC?

Between steam and torrents, the cost of a PC, regardless of how much you put into it, pays for itself. $500 PC can do 1080p gaming no problem at all. $750 - $1000 pc can do well above that no problem.

When all is said and done, 1080p is an extremely dated resolution. With the emergence of $300 2560 x 1440 panels, and upcoming 4k TVs that will be affordable by early 2014 at the latest, these new consoles don't make any sense at all. Just like the current console generation launched only capable of 720p gaming when 1080p was practically the norm for PC games, they're doing the same thing right now with the next gen. Then everyone is going to sit around for 5 or 6 years, again, on dated resolutions and sub par hardware. And for what? So you can spend $10, $20, $30, $40 more per game?

Anyone with common sense who has to pick between console and PC, is going to pick PC. Everyone else is going to get ripped off.

A lot of gamers trade-in games as well as find deals through which many blockbuster games can be obtained for < MSRP. PC games don't have that trade-in luxury that console games do.

A $500 PC might be able to handle 1080p, but definitely not on max/ultra. A $750-1000 budget is still not enough to game comfortably at a 2560x1600 or 5760 x 1200 res. You can't afford a dual GTX-680 solution within that budget.

A console can never really be compared to a PC. It's just a completely different experience. PCs require more technical know-how, whilst consoles are a one-stop solution.

I have both, and mostly game on PC, but I'm not so arrogant so as to say that anyone who picks a console over a PC lacks common sense.

 

[Gundam288]

Called it. After the org. xbox they pulled this with the Xbox 360 for most games and then later on dropped support. If this is a shocker to anyone, then they need to pull their head out of the sand.

 

[gallidorn]

If Microsoft cared about their current customers, they would have made an effort to create an emulator to support xbox 360 games. If people can write near perfect emulators on pc, microsoft would have a much easier time, because they have the original programming. It wouldn't surprise me if they released "enhanced" versions of classic titles, so they could make additional sales!

 

[xeensd]

The digital purchase conundrum...
From the user perspective:
The idea and rights of digital "ownership" is very hazy and if many of you read what your actual rights are in EULA's, you would question what is going on as well. For instance people have vast libraries of songs, games and videos on iTunes. They can keep local copies that verify against iTunes? What happens if iTunes disappears? You loose access to your music/videos/games? What do you really own? What did you pay for? What [legal] recourse do you have?
The public and competition are the only thing that will solve this issue with console producers.
Are we renting content or purchasing?
Next the second from the console designers prospective:
An ongoing app store is a tool to retain customers on a platform ( ie $$$$$ - APPLE and GOOGLE know this). For instance a person who purchases large amounts of music from Apple is more likely to buy apple hardware because of their investment.
This person is locked into their ecosystem. If apple were to throw the standard away at this point, and force people to repurchase for a new piece of hardware, people would defect - it would be insane. The same for Google people load up on apps, music, books - this makes them a Google customer. This base is "captive" due to investment.
PS3 and Sony compete against one another. A person "invests" several hundred to several thousands of dollar in digital purchases and games. The manufacturer of said system then comes out with new hardware... but those purchases are left behind? The "captive" buyer is now the a free agent with a small to large grudge against the previous service and digital purchases with nothing to show?
The thing that keeps Apple or Google from pulling this stunt is public opinion and possible loss of those customers. Sony nor MS seem to be held to that standard (nor Nintendo for that matter) and we (the consumer) are letting them get away with it.
This is bad business...
This Disney-esque charging of full price for each same new edition of Pac-Man (not to pick on pac-man just needed a franchise) needs to be stopped now, early on. Xbox live games are easily ported to PC... so the RISC to x86/x64 is not impossible, Nor does it seem costly, as indies are doing it left and right. Microsoft is doing the ports of low budget (so there is not a large overhead fr the process) games to steam and elsewhere. This comes down to extracting more the users $$$$ through their transaction system.
If it is an HD refresh (not upscale) or value added content (not just a digital soundtrack... Dev's create something new) then i understand the cost.
But to resell something identical to the user you just sold the same thing to yesterday (that is not consumable) is very, very sad. When a VG console manufacturer applies this they will win a loyalty war with the users, and will show a sense of fairness to it's customers.
My hope is that MS and/or Sony through public pressure will at least give some sort of credit for previous purchases of identical titles if they are re released on a new system.

 

[SkateZilla]

Gets better and better every day. Aiming for 1080p gaming in an era of 2560 x 1600

and 5760 x 1200 PC standards, soon looking to 4k tvs.
No backwards compatibility. High price.
Maybe more people will wake up, stop getting pissed on by these consoles and get a proper PC. ffs.

I guess you missed the part of the spec sheet that said it supports 4K

 

[MaxxOmega]

Consoles are crap for people who can't afford a real gaming platform.