A developer has claimed that Microsoft’s newly released Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC framework is powered by emulation, leading to speculation that Xbox 360 games could eventually join the service.
Posting on X, developer Nathan (@TheLunarixus) said, “Fun fact: The new OG Xbox Backwards Compatibility layer released by Microsoft for the PC is actually an Xbox 360 emulator running Xefu (the OG Xbox emu for the 360), confirmed by the XEX2/STFS magic and strings in the kernel such as ‘XENON KERNEL EXITING’. Crazy.”
In a follow-up post, Nathan added, “This probably does confirm that yes Xbox 360 games will also be backwards compatible in the future.”
Microsoft has not confirmed the technical implementation of its PC backward compatibility layer or announced plans to add Xbox 360 titles. As a result, claims regarding future Xbox 360 support remain speculative.
The company recently expanded Xbox backward compatibility to Windows 11, allowing players to access a selection of original Xbox games on PCs and supported handhelds, including the ROG Xbox Ally. The platform supports digital license carryover for eligible titles, Xbox Play Anywhere integration, Game Pass compatibility for supported games, up to 4K resolution scaling, configurable graphics options and modern achievement support.
At launch, the library is limited to a selection of original Xbox games. However, if Nathan’s findings accurately reflect the underlying technology, the framework could provide a technical foundation for supporting Xbox 360 titles in the future, although Microsoft has yet to make any such announcement.
