Xbox prepares the return of backwards compatibility for its 25th anniversary

Microsoft announces at GDC that its preservation team will bring back iconic titles.

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The Game Developers Conference (GDC) continues to make headlines about the future of Xbox, but also about its past. During one of the event’s panels, Jason Ronald, head of Xbox’s hardware and platforms, announced that Microsoft is preparing news related to its video game preservation program.

The information was shared by journalist Tom Warren, who was present at the event. According to Ronald, the Xbox preservation team is working to recover several classic games that will be playable again, in completely new ways.

Xbox to revive iconic games for its 25th anniversary

The announcement is related to the 25th anniversary of Xbox, which will be celebrated later this year. During his presentation, Ronald explained that the team responsible for preserving the brand’s legacy will launch some iconic titles from the past, adapted to new technologies.

According to his words:

As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, the preservation team will release some iconic games from the past that will be able to be played in entirely new ways.

Retrocompatibility 2.0

Although Microsoft has not confirmed which games will be part of this program, the initiative is in line with Xbox’s efforts in retrocompatibility and preservation of its historical catalog.

This approach has allowed hundreds of titles from Xbox, Xbox 360, and later generations to remain playable on modern hardware, often with technical improvements such as higher resolutions, better performance, or compatibility with new system features.

For now, there is no official list of confirmed games, but the statements made at GDC suggest that Xbox may be preparing the return of some of its most memorable titles to celebrate its 25th anniversary, possibly with technical improvements or new ways to enjoy them on current platforms.

“As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, [the game preservation team] will release some iconic games from the past that are now going to be able to be played in entirely new ways,” says Jason Ronald. https://t.co/LFuNT3SUUM

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) March 11, 2026

https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/2031788662459892011