this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2026
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Backwards compatibility was a main selling point of Windows and is a big part of what made Microsoft successful. This was particularly true in the enterprise world where old apps had to continue working despite an OS upgrade. But it matters at the consumer level too of course. Everyone expects their PC apps to just work, even through major changes like the OS switching from 32 to 64 bit.
So it's kind of nuts that Microsoft ever considered this optional for their game console in the first place. Obviously they were able to use market dominance and invest lots of capital to make Xbox one of the top console brands regardless. But it's still dizzying how MS forgot such a core lesson that put them ahead of market competitors for decades.