A new leak suggests that Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox consoles might not fully support backward compatibility, despite earlier promises.
In a recent video by Moore’s Law Is Dead, a developer allegedly said that while all Xbox first-party titles and “Play Anywhere” games will run on the next Xbox consoles and Microsoft’s new Asus Windows handheld, older titles and most third-party games “are likely going to have major problems working on future Xbox consoles if they really are just glorified Windows PCs.”
The leak calls into question licensing — especially with voice actors and music — that could prevent certain games from running properly, similar to challenges seen on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
Another unnamed developer reportedly claimed they opted out of the Play Anywhere program and threatened legal action if their game runs via backward compatibility on the PC-based Xbox app.
The video also said Microsoft is internally referring to its next Xbox hardware as a “PC device,” and that one developer was told there’s “no proof” that games released before the Xbox Series S|X will run on the upcoming Ally X device.
If true, this will be a shift from Microsoft’s earlier position. The company previously partnered with AMD and said future Xbox consoles would maintain full compatibility with existing game libraries.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s recent layoffs in its gaming division have led to multiple game cancellations. However, titles shown during the Xbox Summer Showcase in June are reportedly unaffected.
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