Xbox teases 'new ways to play' some of its most iconic classic games

As it lays out the future of Xbox gaming at GDC 2026, Microsoft also pledges to support four generations of games and content from previous consoles.

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Microsoft unveiled tons of new details about its next-generation Project Helix console at this year's Game Developers Conference, including some technical information as well as assurances on the "future of play." Project Helix will play both Xbox console and Windows PC games in one device, Microsoft says.

The past is just as important to Xbox, though, and hardware VP Jason Ronald hints at "new ways to play" these yesteryear titles in a recent blog post."We're committed to keeping games from four generations of Xbox playable for years to come. As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, we'll be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past."

Fans speculate that this could mean native Xbox games could soon become playable on Windows 11 PCs in some way, with titles like Halo 5 Guardians finally jumping over. Specific details remain unclear, and at this time it just remains a small tease of what's to come with Xbox's 25th anniversary.

It's also unclear how exactly Project Helix will handle backwards compatibility and Microsoft may reveal more details through closed-door GDC talks.

If Ronald's words were to be taken literally, it could be argued that the upcoming Halo Campaign Evolved technically counts because it'll be on PlayStation 5 this year, and Halo has never shipped on a PlayStation console before now.