Building on its recently announced plans to bring original Xbox games to PC, Microsoft is also planning to let developers bring their Xbox 360 games to PC as well, according to a leaked document, seen by The Verge, that was sent to developers recently. Xbox 360 games will be able to run on the next-gen Project Helix console, “Xbox PCs,” and handheld devices, the document says.
Microsoft has already said that Helix will play PC games, so making these older Xbox titles available on PC helps build a broader Xbox library that can travel between devices, similar to what’s already possible with Steam. Creating all these digital licenses also helps set up for a future of consoles without disc drives; Sony has already declared game discs dead, and Microsoft may follow.
With 360 games, developers can opt into making them backward compatible, and they will have control over things like a game’s price and if it’s available on Game Pass. The feature is expected to have a “gradual” rollout between 2027 and 2028 “across next-gen devices.” The “full launch” of original Xbox games on PC is also set for October 2026; the initial program announced in July included just four games.
The document also includes details about a way for players to get a digital version of a game that they already own on a physical disc, which The Verge’s Tom Warren reported on in July. The document says that if a player puts an Xbox One or Series game on disc into an Xbox One or Series X console with a disc drive, they’ll be granted a digital license that’s bound to “that disc and the player’s account.” The license will stay with a player across Xbox devices, but if the disc “changes hands,” the license will transfer to the new person. That should mean that gamers can still trade and sell discs; once the original owner of a disc does so, they can’t play the digital version they got from that disc anymore.
According to the document, a public beta for the disc-to-digital program was set for July with general availability set for August. We understand Microsoft had originally planned to test its disc-to-digital program with Xbox Insiders in July, but the beta was delayed. It’s unclear if the timeline of August general availability is still accurate.
The planned changes follow Microsoft’s major Xbox “reset” announced in July, which included thousands of layoffs and the company selling off four studios.