Microsoft is reportedly preparing to expand Xbox backward compatibility by allowing publishers and developers to bring Xbox 360 games to PC.

According to a leaked Microsoft document obtained by The Verge, participating Xbox 360 titles would also be playable on the company’s next-generation Project Helix console, Xbox-branded PCs and supported handheld devices.

The programme has not yet been publicly announced by Microsoft, so its details and planned release schedule could change before launch.

Publishers would reportedly need to opt their games into the programme rather than having every Xbox 360 release become automatically available.

Participating companies would retain control over each title’s price, availability and possible inclusion with Xbox Game Pass.

This means the programme would not guarantee that every Xbox 360 game becomes playable on PC or Project Helix.

Licensing restrictions involving music, vehicles, actors, sports leagues and other third-party content could prevent certain older releases from returning.

The leaked document reportedly describes a gradual rollout across next-generation Xbox devices between 2027 and 2028.

Microsoft has already started laying the foundation for this broader preservation strategy.

In July, Xbox launched an early version of Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC with four original Xbox games: Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live & Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fuzion Frenzy.

Those games can be purchased and played on supported Windows PCs and handheld devices.

Players who already own eligible digital console licences can access the supported titles on PC without purchasing them again.

The games also support Xbox Play Anywhere features, allowing eligible licences, saves and other account data to move between supported Xbox devices.

Microsoft says the original Xbox programme is part of a broader effort to preserve games from previous generations and make them available across more devices.

The company reportedly plans to expand that work with a full original Xbox programme in October 2026.

Xbox 360 support would represent a much larger undertaking because of the size of the console’s catalogue and the technical and licensing differences between individual releases.

Project Helix is Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console platform.

Xbox has officially said the system is being designed to play both Xbox console games and PC games while creating a more consistent experience across console, Windows and handheld devices.

Early Project Helix development hardware is expected to reach selected developers in 2027.

The leaked Xbox 360 programme would help build a broader digital library for that system by allowing older games to follow players across multiple devices.

It could also give publishers a new opportunity to sell games that are no longer readily available on modern hardware.

However, access would still depend on each publisher agreeing to participate.

Even Microsoft-owned titles could face obstacles when older licensing agreements have expired.

The leaked document also reportedly discusses Microsoft’s disc-to-digital programme for Xbox One and Xbox Series games.

Under that proposed system, inserting a supported physical disc into a compatible Xbox console would provide a digital licence connected to both the user’s account and the disc.

The digital entitlement could then follow the player across supported Xbox devices while they continue to own the physical copy.

When the disc changes ownership, the associated digital access would reportedly transfer away from the original owner.

Microsoft has not publicly confirmed a final launch date for that programme.

The company had reportedly planned an Xbox Insider test during July 2026, but that test was delayed.

Xbox’s current strategy increasingly treats console, PC, handheld and cloud devices as parts of one connected ecosystem.

Bringing Xbox 360 games to PC would be another significant step toward that goal.

For now, the programme should be treated as a reported Microsoft plan rather than a fully announced feature.

Microsoft has not published a complete list of participating Xbox 360 games, publishers, prices or supported regions.