Microsoft to announce first 100 backwards-compatible Xbox 360 games for Xbox One next week

Xbox One fans who are still holding on to their Xbox 360 games will be happy to know that Microsoft is planning to reveal the first 100 titles that will be backwards-compatible. The big announcement will be made on Nov. 9, finally ending months of speculation and waiting for many Xbox fans.

As many in the gaming community know, Microsoft announced in the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles earlier this year that the Xbox One would be backwards compatible. The announcement was met with acclaim, even though the console would only support a few Xbox 360 games rather than the entire library.

However, the actual disc of the Xbox 360 games will not work on the Xbox One. According to Destructoid, putting one of the backwards-compatible games on the console will trigger a downloadable version of the game, which will be Xbox One-friendly.

Interestingly enough, a report from IGN stated that the Xbox 360 games, along with any Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) title purchased on the last-gen console, will only be available to those who purchased it previously. While Xbox One users can always buy some Xbox 360 games, they may not have access to the XBLA titles.

Prior to the announcement, Microsoft mentioned a few games that will be compatible with the Xbox One, such as the “Gears of War” series. In fact, all of the “Gears of War” titles for Xbox 360 were a bonus for those who pre-ordered the remastered version of the first game, which was rechristened as “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.”

There are also a number of Xbox 360 games that can be played through the Xbox One’s “Preview” feature. These include titles from Rare like “Perfect Dark Zero,” “Kameo: Elements of Power” and “Banjo Kazooie.” Other available games include “Super Meat Boy,” “Alien Hominid” and the first “Mass Effect.”

Next week will be very interesting for Microsoft, as it may convert a few gamers who are on the fence on getting a current-gen console. Considering how heavily requested the backwards-compatible feature has been for this console and the PS4, it will be interesting to see how Sony responds to this.

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Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility Demo at E3 2015 (Credit: YouTube/Kotaku)