It's hard not to get all caught up with everything that's happening at E3. Overwhelming, yes, but with all the good news for gaming fans there is, you never, ever want to miss one beat. Case in point, the Xbox Project Scarlett, due to arrive at the end of 2020, plus all the goodies that come with its backwards compatibility.
Microsoft stated in its conference that Xbox Project Scarlett will support games from all four generations of Xbox consoles, which means original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games as well as next-gen games.
In a behind-closed-doors meeting at E3 2019, Microsoft's Dan McCulloch confirmed this to GamesRadar:
"All of your current games will be forward compatible to play on Scarlett, and will look the best on Scarlett," explained McCulloch.
Microsoft implied when it said the next Xbox, Project Scarlett, would features 1000s of games across four console generations. Beyond this confirmation, details on the feature are light, but presumably we will hear more about it as this week progresses and Microsoft talks about the next-gen Xbox more.
As you will know, Microsoft has been a big proponent of backwards compatibility this entire generation. While Sony and the PS4 have been silent on this front, Microsoft has been pushing it hard, and for this console generation, it's been the one place where Microsoft has crushed Sony. And it's no surprise when you consider that it's a feature very important to Microsoft boss Phil Spencer.
That all said, Microsoft won't be the only one waving the backwards compatibility flag this generation. Sony has confirmed the PS5 will be backwards compatible with at least the PS4. There's currently no word from it on PS3, PS2, and PS1 backwards compatibility though.
Microsoft is now committing to get every Xbox One game running on Scarlett, alongside games from all four generations of Xbox. While the catalog of old games might be finishing, Microsoft is adding a lot of games as it looks to move toward Scarlett compatibility. You can only do so much to old games, obviously, but the implications for Xbox One games are tantalizing.
"What I would say specifically, without announcing anything, is I'm very proud of our track record of compatibility and us respecting the purchase of games you've made with us and bringing that to the current generation," said Spencer last E3.
