Xbox One backward compatibility has arrived: Here’s how it works

Backward Compatibility comes to Xbox One

At this year’s E3 in Los Angeles, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, Phil Spencer, made the huge announcement that backward compatibility is coming to Xbox One. With this feature—available now as part of the recent rollout of the “New Xbox One Experience“—a compatible library of Xbox 360 games is now playable on your Xbox One console.

In the months since E3, Microsoft has been working hard to make a total of 104 digital and disc-based Xbox 360 games compatible on Xbox One. This initial library includes blockbuster franchises like Gears of War, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed II, Borderlands, and South Park: The Stick of Truth. Beyond the 104 compatible games already announced, Microsoft will be bringing hundreds of more games in the months to come.

How it works with Digital Games

So, you’ve purchased Xbox 360 games digitally through the Xbox Live store and want to know if they’re compatible? To see if your older game can be played on Xbox One, simply consult the list of 104 compatible titles, which I’ve provided at the bottom of this article. If your digital game(s) are included on this list, next go into your games library on your Xbox One console, and in your “Ready to Install” section you’ll see your previously purchased games. From there, click to redownload the games, and you’re all set!

How it works with Disc-based Games

For compatible disc-based Xbox 360 (again, see list below), all you need to do is insert the disc into your Xbox One console and follow the on-screen prompt to install the game to your hard drive. After the installation is complete, you’ll need to keep the game disc in the tray while you play, or else it won’t run. That’s it!

Xbox One experience with your Xbox 360 games

What’s really cool about backward compatibility on Xbox One is that all the great features of the console can now be used with your Xbox 360 games! These include:

• Taking screenshots of your games
• Recording gameplay clips
• Streaming your games (via Twitch, for example)
• Send game invites
• Start party chat with your online Xbox friends

Not only that, but there are awesome new features too. For example, you can play multiplayer Xbox 360 games over Xbox Live (Gold membership required) no matter what console your friends have. You can now also stream your Xbox 360 games (running on your Xbox One) to a PC running Windows 10. Plus, you can also bring over you Xbox 360 save files (provided you saved them on the cloud), game adds-ons, Achievements, and Gamerscore over to Xbox One. Doing so will allow you to continue playing your Xbox 360 games exactly where you left off!

One tip Microsoft gives when using backward compatibility: save your games often. Apparently, if you open a full-screen Xbox One app or game, you’ll lose your current game progress. So, make sure you save you Xbox 360 games before moving on to another app or game.

More compatible games coming

As mentioned, more Xbox 360 games will become compatible in the months to come. Microsoft has already announced that fan-favourite games like Halo Reach, Halo Wars, Skate 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and Bioshock Infinite will join the library. Furthermore, all future Xbox 360 Games with Gold will be backward compatible, so you’ll be able to download and play them on your Xbox One console. If there are particular Xbox 360 favourites you want to see come to Xbox One, Microsoft has set-up a website (Xbox.UserVoice.com) where you can make your voice heard.

Bundle deals

Over the last few months, Microsoft and its publishing partners have announced some amazing bundle offers that take advantage of Xbox One’s new backward compatibility. If you buy any of the four games below, you’ll get bonus game(s) in the same series! You can find links to the game, and see all the offers below. (Keep in mind that some of these offers have certain conditions, so I recommend checking the official game websites for details)

• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
• Fallout 4
• Just Cause 3
• Rainbow Six: Siege

List of backward compatible games (104 total)

Here’s the part you’ve all been waiting for, the compatible library list! All of the following Xbox 360 games will now run on your Xbox One game consoles:

• A Kingdom for Keflings
• A World of Keflings
• Alien Hominid HD
• Assassin’s Creed II
• Asteroids & Deluxe
• Banjo-Kazooie®
• Banjo Kazooie®: Nuts & Bolts
• Banjo-Tooie®
• BattleBlock Theater
• Bejeweled 2
• Bellator: MMA Onslaught
• Beyond Good & Evil HD
• Blood of the Werewolf
• BloodRayne: Betrayal
• Borderlands
• Call of Juarez® Gunslinger
• Castle Crashers
• CastleStorm
• Centipede & Millipede
• Condemned: Criminal Origins
• Crazy Taxi™
• Deadliest Warrior: Legends
• Defense Grid: The Awakening
• DiRT 3
• DiRT Showdown
• Discs of Tron
• Doom
• Doom II
• Dungeon Siege III
• Earthworm Jim HD
• Fable II
• Fallout 3
• Feeding Frenzy
• Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Golden Axe™
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Hardwood Backgammon®
• Hardwood Hearts®
• Hardwood Spades®
• Heavy Weapon
• Hexic HD
• Ikaruga
• Jetpac Refuelled
• Joy Ride Turbo
• Just Cause 2
• Kameo™: Elements of Power
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Lode Runner™
• LUMINES LIVE!
• Mass Effect™
• Metal Slug 3
• Metal Slug XX
• Might & Magic Clash of Heroes™
• Mirror’s Edge™
• Missile Command
• Monday Night Combat
• Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
• Monkey Island: Special Edition
• Ms. Splosion Man™
• Mutant Blobs Attack!!!
• N+
• NBA JAM: On Fire Edition
• NiGHTS into dreams…
• Operation Flashpoint™: Dragon Rising
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX+
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition™
• Perfect Dark
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds
• Pinball FX™
• Plants vs. Zombies
• Prince of Persia
• Putty Squad
• Rayman 3 HD
• R-Type Dimensions™
• Sacred Citadel
• Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
• Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe
• Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
• Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
• Shadow Complex
• Sonic CD
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• Sonic The Hedgehog 3
• South Park: The Stick of Truth™
• Super Meat Boy
• Supreme Commander 2
• Tom Clancy’s RainbowSix Vegas
• Tom Clancy’s RainbowSix Vegas 2
• Torchlight
• Toy Soldiers
• Toy Soldiers: Cold War
• Tron: Evolution
• Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
• Viva Piñata
• Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Zuma

So, what Xbox 360 game will you be playing first? Be sure to let me know in the comments section below!