rtf files, Word and the differences between SP Online and SP 2010

Ok, I have a really weird one gang.

So in 2010, when you opened an RTF file in Word, you could go to file - information - versions and open any version you wanted to see.  Now in SharePoint Online there does not seem to be the view.  You have to download the a previous version to see it.  And if you do the same operation opening it through a synced library in explorer, it tells you to change it into a docx to turn on versioning.  What the heck?  Why the change?  And is there a way around having to download it when in Word or Word Online?