Xbox One Backward Compatibility Prank: Scam Leads To Bricked System, 'No Way' To Play Xbox 360 Games On Next-Gen System

Following advice on the Internet requires plenty of caution and skepticism, and the latest "how-to" involving the Xbox One is no exception. A guide on how to make the Xbox One backwards compatible, allowing it to play Xbox 360 games, quickly spread across the Internet, but alas, it is too good to be true, and instead of playing your old games it will just lead to a bricked next-gen console.

As the Verge points out, any Xbox One owner can access the system's dev kit. Inputting the right button combination will let any user access the Developer settings on the Xbox One but there is plenty of danger to messing around with these functions. The code was posted on YouTube but users quickly cautioned anyone from trying to access the Developer menu, warning that it could lead to the Xbox One getting stuck in a "boot loop," reports EuroGamer.

As Microsoft and other gamers warned against messing around with any settings in the Developer mode, a prank popped up claiming to make the Xbox One backwards compatible. A Reddit user claims the prank first emerged on 4Chan in the form of a fake image, posted on Imgur. The image claims to detail how to make the Xbox One play Xbox 360 games in six simple steps. The first steps involve accessing the Dev kit while the next steps involve changing the "sandbox ID," to be used as part of Microsoft's program for independent developers. The last step involves selecting the "reset home console" option.

Despite the promise of accessing a vast library of games, the steps just lead to a cruel prank played on the owner and results in a totally inoperable system. On Twitter, Microsoft's Larry Hryb also warned against any attempts to make your Xbox One backwards compatible.

The prank preys on one of the biggest complaints from gamers with every new console announcement. With the Xbox One, and the PS4, gamers must leave behind their current library of games, be it for the Xbox 360 or the PS3. Instead of being able to play these games on their new system, the gamer must play them on their old console. For fans, the ability to access the last console's library of games would be a boon, instead of just 20+ launch titles there would be hundreds.