xCloud Is Adding Backwards Compatible Games

Microsoft’s continuing to make xCloud better with the announcement that backwards compatibility will be making its way to the cloud gaming service. Starting today, 16 games from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox generations are available for streaming on mobile devices. The list goes:

• Banjo-Kazooie
• Banjo-Tooie
• Double Dragon Neon
• Fable II
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Jetpac Refuelled (touch controls enabled)
• Kameo
• Perfect Dark
• Perfect Dark Zero
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Viva Piñata (touch controls enabled)
• Viva Piñata: TIP (touch controls enabled)

Bringing backwards compatible games to xCloud is yet another push from Microsoft to not only make the service more appealing for gamers, but also to continue supporting backwards compatibility as much as possible. Their efforts in regards to backwards compatibility have been going strong since 2015, and it’s great to see them not letting up. With the recent addition of FPS Boost and Auto HDR to older games, giving gamers the ability to play these classic games wherever they are on whatever device they choose is yet another feather in Microsoft’s hat.

While these are the only titles they’ve announced for xCloud backwards compatibility so far, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that more will be added over time. Perhaps we’ll get an announcement about that at some point this Spring when xCloud is available on PC and iOS. It’s something that would pair very nicely with the service coming to new platforms.

Microsoft’s not just making moves in the cloud though. News broke recently that the company was looking to acquire the communication service Discord, with it potentially happening as soon as next month. With all the moves the company is making, they’re primed to have a very successful year ahead of them.