This is simply not possible for older titles that require explicit permission if the emulator already supports them, or titles that are delisted because of third-party licensing issues. For instance, an old racing game won't have the rights to the cars and music featured in it anymore, and relicensing those assets wouldn't make sense even if Microsoft is handling the actual distribution for you as it promises in this memo.
Therefore, the idea of converting discs into digital games is perhaps more enticing and less legally binding, while serving the same concept of organizing all Xbox generations under one roof. The memo calls that "Program 01" as if that's the more preferred option anyway. The call to publishers is labeled "Program 02" and seems less likely to prevail, at least at the scope Microsoft wishes for, but only time will tell.
Ultimately, if the Xbox Helix can play PC games (all of them?) and at least three separate generations of Xbox titles — Helix, Series, One — it's already going to have a vast catalogue. Add emulated backwards compatibility and disc digitization to the mix, and you'll have by far the largest library on a console, ever. Of course, it can be argued whether Xbox Helix is even a traditional console to begin with, hence undermining this achievement in hindsight, but let's table that debate for later.
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Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he\u2019s not working, you\u2019ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-25/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Hassam Nasir Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.
ezst036 Hopefully Microsoft includes a stock disc drive.(at least optional) If they do that with Helix, Xbox will be a much more major player in the field than they have been as of late. Sony will be losing most of the disc bros. Nobody who owns a disc actually owns the game, but they like to fancy that they do though. In the end it is just a license to use the game. They do at least own a copy they can portably take with them and that provides good value to the customer. Reply
hotaru251 ezst036 said: Nobody who owns a disc actually owns the game meanwhile every disc I own prior to 5-8 yrs ago can't be shut off and I in fact do own them. ezst036 said: Sony will be losing most of the disc bros which is a minority. I am a physical media person (i miss the books and bonuses that use to come in game boxes) but I also know most people are lazy and they will whine about it but in end they will still just accept it as they need their next fix of a PS exclusive title. I just hope this goes well as love or hate MS/XB game compatibility is a good thing. Reply
DS426 M$ is putting in the work with the emulator (as it should be) and the title-by-title testing, so it seems like there's not a lot of risk for game publishers. As for optical drives, Helix should have them in at least one model / SKU and/or available as USB-attached external drives . Reply
LordVile hotaru251 said: meanwhile every disc I own prior to 5-8 yrs ago can't be shut off and I in fact do own them. which is a minority. I am a physical media person (i miss the books and bonuses that use to come in game boxes) but I also know most people are lazy and they will whine about it but in end they will still just accept it as they need their next fix of a PS exclusive title. I just hope this goes well as love or hate MS/XB game compatibility is a good thing. You own the plastic disc which contains software under licence not the copy of the game on it. Reply
DS426 hotaru251 said: meanwhile every disc I own prior to 5-8 yrs ago can't be shut off and I in fact do own them. … Microsoft proved that wrong just recently. One might then say that won't/can't happen with Sony, but I'd call that naive thinking. Reply
usertests "Opt in" doesn't sound promising. No technical limitations, just legal/greed. Reply
Bigshrimp Even with all of their attempts to make their product line more shiny and less draconian than Sony's latest stupidity with their products, I will likely pass on every MS product in the future. I have no doubt that they will rug-pull and take discs away in the future. They have been planning to go in that direction since the Xbox One fiasco. I will not trust companies that think they can get away with anti-consumer practices and they obviously are still anti-consumer even with their latest media push to try make themselves look better somehow. Reply
atomicWAR Nice thought but still.. No disc no buy. I love the idea of bringing all XB games forward as a fan of back-compat but we still need a disc drive. Do that MS next gen and I might spend more of my money on your store front instead of switch 2, PS (pre disc news, not touched PS since disc death 2028) Steam or GoG when I do go digital. I historically game on everything but any console that ditches physical media which is always my first choice in purchases, I want no part of. It gives them to much control over pricing and game 'ownership' (cough licensing cough cough). Shuttered ps3 store anyone? On PC I can get drm free digital games I can backup and 'own' as much as a disc (cough license cough cough). PS and XB need match or exceed that bar if they really want any of my digital purchases going forward Sony/MS have to support my exsisting disc game library and future physical titles being released. They need to let consumers choose when to get digital or physical, not force it. No disc no buy. I mean it and so does everyone else. We have options that allow for better game 'ownership' (win/linux PC, Switch 2…barely) So if you work for Sony or MS, take note. These aren't ideal threats, these are promises on my purchasing power. Give us discs and drives to run them on next gen or lose me going forward. Reply
SonoraTechnical Are they extending this offer to all fo the gaming houses they just divested? Reply
ivan_vy I haven't bought physical PC games in decades. The last disc I bought was for a PS3. Sony's PC games are digital-only; nobody seems to mind that. Discs rot, the plastic contributes to more pollution, and eventually the convenience of digital distribution will prevail. Games aren't a basic necessity. Reply
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/microsoft-wants-the-next-gen-xbox-helix-to-play-every-xbox-game-ever-made-as-it-urges-publishers-to-opt-in-new-report-also-claims-xbox-360-games-coming-to-pc-soon#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
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