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Can the new Xbox Series X play Xbox 360 games?

Want to try out some older titles on your new Xbox Series X? Here’s what you need to know.

by
Alex Gatewood
February 22, 2021

Image: KnowTechie

With the release of Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X comes loads of new questions. One of the questions at the top of people’s lists is whether or not the Xbox Series X can play Xbox 360 games. The answer to this may not be so cut and dry.

Microsoft has been known for leading the gaming industry in compatibility efforts. Things like the new Xbox controllers being available for backwards compatibility and most all of the hardware integrating with your PC set Xbox apart from their competitors. But compatibility issues are not always so simple to fix.

Previously, Microsoft had to work hard to make certain older titles available on the Xbox One. It seems they planned ahead this time around, and the transition looks to have been much easier.

So, can you play older Xbox 360 games on your Xbox Series X?

Short answer: Yes, for many titles

The release of the most recent Xbox consoles came ready for backwards compatibility. This means that any Xbox One games, as long as they do not require a Kinect device, are playable on the Xbox Series X. But what exactly does that mean for Xbox 360 titles?

Remember a few years ago, when Microsoft began slowly acquiring licensing for older titles to be available for Xbox One? Well, eventually, over the course of several months, they filled their library of backwards compatible titles.

Basically, what that means is, yes, there are a good amount of Xbox 360 games available to play on your Xbox Series X. This includes both digital versions that have been made available for the games, as well as your old discs that you are still holding on to.

But there is also a handful that you can’t, for various, unknown reasons. This list will help you to better understand which exact games are backwards compatible, but essentially, if you could play it on Xbox One, you can play it on your Xbox Series X. We hope this helps, but be honest, as long as Halo 2 is on the list, I’m happy.

Have any thoughts on this? What 360 games do you want to play on Xbox Series X? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.