How Xbox One backwards compatibility works: The Xbox 360 games list and more

Since last November, you have been able to play Xbox 360 games on an Xbox One. Not all of your old library of games are available presently, but there are more than 140 titles currently available. Xbox is also adding to this list regularly as each title has been checked and cleared for release.

But do you have to do anything different to get it to work? Exactly how will Xbox 360 games play on an Xbox One? And can you buy Xbox 360 games on an Xbox One? Here’s our handy guide to the feature.

How does Xbox One backwards compatibility work?

Microsoft first announced that it would be adding backwards compatibility to its current generation console during E3 2015 in June, and the initial wave of 104 games arrived in November last year.

The Xbox One is able to play Xbox 360 games through emulation software that makes the console think it’s a last generation machine for the purposes of playing older games.

When a supported Xbox 360 game is started on the machine, the Xbox One opens the emulator and, in all regards, the game works as if it was running on an Xbox 360. The 360’s opening screen appears first then the game will load.

All other aspects and features that would normally be available on an Xbox 360 are be available on the Xbox One too, including the hub (which can be opened through a simultaneous press of the menu and view buttons on the Xbox One controller). In addition, all new features of the Xbox One work, including the ability to take screen grabs and record and share video of gameplay.

READ: Xbox boss Phil Spencer explains why your fave Xbox 360 game is not backwards compatible… yet

Does Xbox One backwards compatibility cost me anything?

Although Sony opted for a paid route to play PS3 games on a PS4, through the PlayStation Now cloud gaming platform, Microsoft decided to offer its backwards compatibility for free as part of the November update at the end of 2015.

If you own a supported game already, you do not have to pay anything to play it on Xbox One.

Obviously, it costs to purchase new Xbox 360 games that work on the machine.

Does Xbox One backwards compatibility work with Xbox 360 games I bought through Xbox Live?

Xbox One backwards compatibility works with digital content as well as disc games. In fact, if you enter a supported disc into your Xbox One, the machine will download the game from Xbox Live first – although you will need the disc to be in the machine each time you play.

If you own a digital copy of a supported game it appears in your games list ready for download. Check your Games and Apps hub to see if any are listed on the far right of your already installed games.

Can I carry on with my previous Xbox 360 game saves on Xbox One?

If you originally set your Xbox 360 to save games to the cloud you will be able to download the save files to the Xbox One version and carry on. The cloud files are permanently associated with your gamertag so the Xbox One should do this automatically.

If you only saved your in-game progress locally, to the hard drive, you will need to restart your Xbox 360 and save them to the cloud instead. If you no longer have your Xbox 360, sadly you won’t be able to access the files.

What games are available with Xbox One backwards compatibility?

Microsoft released a list of the 104 Xbox 360 games originally, but more have been added over time. These include The Witcher 2 and Halo: Reach.

There are now more than 140 titles available as part of the backwards compatibility scheme.

The company’s plan is to eventually support every game it feasibly can bar a few that cannot be made compatible due to requiring additional accessories to run. These include games like the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, plus any that worked with the original Kinect. Even if you have the Xbox One Kinect, it will not be compatible with previous Xbox 360 Kinect games.

There is good news however for Xbox Live Gold members. They already get two free Xbox One games a month as part of the Games with Gold service that is part of their subscription. They will also now get two free Xbox 360 games a month too – the games that are effectively still offered to Xbox 360 owners with a Gold subscription.

With the March dashboard update, you will also be able to purchase and download Xbox 360 games as if they were Xbox One titles.

Here’s a full list of the Xbox 360 games that are currently available with backwards compatibility for Xbox One (as of February 2016):

• A Kingdom for Keflings
• A World of Keflings
• Aegis Wing
• Age of Booty
• Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
• 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
• Braid
• Call of Juarez Gunslinger
• Carcassonne
• Castle Crashers
• CastleStorm
• Centipede & Millipede
• Condemned: Criminal Origins
• Counter-Strike: Go
• Crazy Taxi
• Deadliest Warrior: Legends
• Defense Grid: The Awakening
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• DiRT 3
• DiRT Showdown
• Discs of Tron
• Doom
• Doom II
• Doritos Crash Course
• Dungeon Siege III
• Earthworm Jim HD
• Fable II
• Fable III
• Fallout 3
• Feeding Frenzy
• Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
• Galaga
• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Golden Axe
• Halo: Reach
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Hardwood Backgammon
• Hardwood Hearts
• Hardwood Spades
• Heavy Weapon
• Hexic HD
• Hydro Thunder
• Ikaruga
• Iron Brigade
• Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad
• Jetpac Refuelled
• Joy Ride Turbo
• Just Cause 2
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Kane & Lynch 2
• Lego Batman
• Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Lode Runner
• Lumines Lives!
• Mass Effect
• Metal Slug 3
• Metal Slug XX
• Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
• Mirror’s Edge
• Missile Command
• Monday Night Combat
• Monkey Island: Special Edition
• Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
• Motocross Madness
• Ms Pac-Man
• Ms. Splosion Man
• Mutant Blobs Attack!!!
• N+
• NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
• Nights into dreams…
• Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX+
• Peggle
• Perfect Dark
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds
• Pinball FX
• Plants vs. Zombies
• Portal: Still Alive
• Prince of Persia
• Putty Squad
• R-Type Dimensions
• Rayman 3 HD
• Sacred Citadel
• Sam & Max Save the World
• Sam & Max Beyond Time & Space
• Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
• Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe
• Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
• Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
• Shadow Complex
• Skullgirls
• Small Arms
• Sonic CD
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• Sonic The Hedgehog 3
• Soulcalibur
• South Park: The Stick of Truth
• Space Giraffe
• Spelunky
• Splosion Man
• Super Meat Boy
• Supreme Commander 2
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
• Ticket to Ride
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2
• Torchlight
• Toy Soldiers
• Toy Soldiers: Cold War
• Trials HD
• Tron: Evolution
• Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
• Viva Piñata
• Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Zuma
• Zuma’s Revenge