Half Of Xbox One Owners Have Used Backward Compatibility, Says Phil Spencer

December 13, 2016

Microsoft's investment in software-based backward compatibility on the Xbox One has been a crowd-pleaser. Although it's been a great reason to invest in the console, many have argued that it's severely underutilized. The assumption is that very few Xbox One owners bother to take advantage of the feature. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Xbox Head Phil Spencer has gone on record to say that half of Xbox One owners have invested time in the platform's backward compatibility. His post reads:

Now over 300 back compat titles. Nearly 50% of XB1 owners playing BC games is great to see. Thanks for supporting the program.

It is currently estimated that 25 million Xbox One consoles have been sold, meaning that roughly 12 million consumers have used backward compatibility at one time or another, give or take a few due to multi-console owners.

Limited support during the early months of backward compatibility was a significant turn-off for many, but over time dozens of games have been added. There are now more than 300 Xbox 360 games that can be played on Xbox One, including the likes of recent additions such as BioShock, Oblivion, and Skate 3.

Although Jonathan Leack began covering the gaming industry in 2009, his earliest roots date back to 2004 when he wrote his first of many reviews to come. Equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and several information technology certifications, he provides a unique perspective that is technological and business conscious. Having acquired the role of Executive Editor in 2016, his mission is to make GameRevolution a gaming site that thoughtfully considers the consumer perspective, and has a knowledgeable presence of PC gaming, console, hardware, and eSports coverage.