According to a leaked document, the upcoming Project Helix console will support games from all Xbox generations, including Xbox 360 titles on PC, and developers will be able to decide whether to include them in Game Pass.
Microsoft is preparing a significant expansion of its gaming offerings that could result in the largest library of games ever available on a single console. According to a document obtained by The Verge's Tom Warren, the upcoming console, codenamed Project Helix, will not only run PC games but will also offer backward compatibility with games from all previous Xbox generations, from the original console from 2001, through the Xbox 360 from 2005 and the Xbox One from 2013, all the way to the current Xbox Series generation from 2020.
The document reveals that developers will have a key say in this process. They will be able to choose whether their Xbox 360 games become backward compatible and thus come to life on the Project Helix console, PC, and handheld devices. They will also independently set prices for PC versions of their older titles and, at their own discretion, include them in the Game Pass subscription service. These games are also expected to support the Xbox Play Anywhere program, meaning players will be able to run them anywhere within the Xbox ecosystem after a single purchase.
As reported by Tom's Hardware, file analysts discovered interesting technical details a few weeks ago when Microsoft began bringing original Xbox games to PC. The company included an official emulator called Xe03 or Fission in the package, which is typically used to run Xbox 360 games on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Inside Fission, there is another emulator, XeFu or Fusion, which enables emulation of the original Xbox on modern consoles, and now also on PC.
Microsoft plans to introduce this ambitious program gradually. Last month, they announced an initiative to bring original Xbox games to PC, starting with an initial group of four games. According to The Verge, the program is expected to have its "full launch" in October, and the company has also announced the introduction of an achievements system for original Xbox games, which could also happen around that time.
In parallel, Microsoft is also developing a disc-to-digital conversion program that would allow players to continue accessing games they own on physical discs on the Project Helix console. The public beta for Xbox Insider members was supposed to begin in July, ahead of broader availability this month, but according to the document, there has been a delay. It is still unclear whether Project Helix will even have a disc drive or whether Microsoft, similar to Sony with PlayStation, plans to completely abandon physical game discs.
