Xbox 360 emulator coming to Xbox One?

Saqib Shah

April 7, 2014

While the Xbox One was not backwards compatible at launch, a Microsoft executive has hinted that an emulator may appear in the future.

At the annual Microsoft Build Developer conference, Microsoft’s Partner Development Lead Frank Savage confirmed that there are actual plans for an Xbox 360 emulation on the Xbox One.

It’s probably not a good idea to hold your breath however, because while there are plans for an emulation, Savage said, “…we’re not done thinking them through yet, unfortunately.”

When it was first announced that the Xbox One would not be backwards compatible, Microsoft’s marketing director for Xbox UK, Harvey Eagle, said that it was because the next-gen console had a different architecture build than the Xbox 360.

At the Build Developer conference, Savage further explained: “It turns out to be hard to emulate the PowerPC stuff on the X86 stuff.”

So, for now, it’s probably best to keep hold of your Xbox 360 while Microsoft works out its hardware.

About the Author

Saqib Shah

Tech/gaming journalist for What Mobile magazine and website. Interests include film, digital media and foreign affairs.

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