How to Play Xbox 360 Games on Xbox One
The Xbox One can play certain Xbox 360 games, Xbox Live Arcade games, and even original Xbox games. There is no cost, so you can freely play all your old compatible games while still holding on to the discs.
It’s a bit more complicated than just inserting and playing an Xbox 360 game on your Xbox One. It would help if you had a high-speed internet connection to download updates for any game you want to play.
Backward compatibility works the same on all Xbox One consoles, including the original release, the Xbox One S, and the Xbox One X. The only differences are that consoles with more hard drive space can store more backward-compatible games, and a handful of backward-compatible games were created for the Xbox One X improved.
You can also read other comprehensive guides about Xbox consoles:
- How do you play Xbox 360 games on your PC with Xenia?
- How do you setup Kinect on Xbox 360?
- How do you setup Xbox live on Xbox 360?
Which Xbox games are backward compatible on Xbox One?
Microsoft has devoted many resources to backward compatibility over the years, and new games are added regularly. Some of these games have even been enhanced for the Xbox One X, with higher resolutions and better color detail.
You can check backward compatibility on Xbox Backward Compatible Games Library
You can find out if a game you own is compatible by adding it to your Xbox One. If you’re prompted to download an update, it’s consistent. If you want to review a specific game, Microsoft maintains a list of all backward compatible Xbox 360 and Xbox One games.
Are digital Xbox games and Xbox Live Arcade games backward compatible?
The Xbox 360 introduced two innovations: the ability to purchase and download digital copies of games and Xbox Live Arcade games. Just like physical Xbox One games, many of these can also be played on your Xbox One.
Microsoft has a record of every digital game you’ve purchased on your old Xbox 360. If any of these are available as backward compatible titles on Xbox One and you’re still using the same Xbox Live account, you can download and play them on your new console without paying anything.
How to Play Xbox 360 and Original Xbox Games on an Xbox One
Backward compatibility on Xbox One is based on emulation. That means the Xbox One doesn’t have the hardware components needed to run games from previous generations. Therefore, the software is used.
Microsoft has taken a slightly different approach instead of running your disc-based games through an emulator. Each backward-compatible game has been optimized, packaged with an emulator, and made available for download.
When you put a backward-compatible game on an Xbox One, your console will verify the disc’s identity and give you the option to download an update. This update is the entire game packaged with an emulator.
Although Xbox One backward compatibility requires you to download a modified version of each game you want to play and not play the game on your physical game disc, the disc still needs to be inserted.
Microsoft uses this as a form of protection to ensure you own the disc and prevent you from downloading a backward-compatible copy onto your console and then selling the physical disc.
If you have backward compatible Xbox 360 or original Xbox games, here’s how to play them on your Xbox One:
- Turn on your Xbox One and make sure it’s up to date.
- Insert an Xbox 360 or Original Xbox game.
- If the game is backward compatible, the following message will appear. Choose install to continue.
- Wait for the download and installation process to complete.
- Once the download process is complete, launch the game to play it.
- The following message will appear if you do not insert the game disc. Select Close and then insert the game disc to continue.
- You can install as many backward-compatible Xbox 360 and Xbox One games as you have space. If you run out of disk space and need to delete a backward-compatible match, you can always download it again later. You may also want to upgrade your hard drive or add external storage.
How to Play Backward Compatible Xbox Live Arcade Games and Xbox Full Digital Download Games
In addition to backward compatibility with physical game discs, you can also play digital copies of old Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. That means if you’ve ever purchased a digital download of a game on your Xbox 360 and that game is backward compatible with Xbox One, you can download and play it for free.
If you’ve ever bought Xbox Live Arcade games on your Xbox 360, you can also play them on your Xbox One.
When you purchase a digital copy of an Xbox game or an Xbox Live Arcade game, the purchase is tied to your Microsoft account through your Xbox Live account. So if you’re still using the same Xbox Live account on your Xbox One that you used on your Xbox 360, you’re good to go.
To download and play previously purchased Xbox 360, original Xbox, and Xbox Live Arcade games on your Xbox One:
- Turn on your Xbox One and make sure it’s fully updated.
- Press the Guide button on your controller and navigate to My games & apps.
- Navigate to Games > Ready to Install.
If you don’t see your games, use the filter option to view Xbox 360 and Xbox games.
- Select a game to install.
- Select Install All.
- Repeat this process to install all your old Xbox Live Arcade and digitally download Xbox games.
