Yes, you can play some Xbox 360 games on Xbox One—but not the entire Xbox 360 library. Check the exact game in Xbox’s official backward-compatible games catalog first. Supported digital games can be installed from Ready to Install; supported discs trigger a download and must stay in the drive while you play.
Check whether your Xbox 360 game is supported
Xbox One backward compatibility covers selected Xbox 360 games, not every game released for the console. Search for the exact title in the official Xbox compatibility catalog before installing, troubleshooting, or buying a disc. Features can vary by game.
If a title is not listed, the Xbox materials describe no Xbox One installation method for it. Inserting an arbitrary Xbox 360 disc will not make an unsupported game run natively on Xbox One.
Install a digital Xbox 360 game you own
- Sign in to the Xbox One account that owns the game.
- Open Ready to Install and find the supported game.
- Select it to install, then launch it when installation is complete.
Xbox describes backward compatibility as free for select Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games you already own. This applies to owned digital games in the compatibility program; it does not establish that every title is currently available to purchase digitally.
#1 Best Overall
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
Install and play from an Xbox 360 disc
- Confirm the exact game is in the compatibility catalog.
- Insert the Xbox 360 disc into the Xbox One.
- If supported, allow the console to download the compatible game to its hard drive.
- Leave the disc in the drive whenever you play. The download does not replace the disc as the requirement to launch the game.
For example, Xbox Wire named Fallout 3 among supported Xbox 360 games. That example does not mean other Xbox 360 discs are compatible; verify each title individually.
Disc and digital installation compared
| What you own | How installation starts | What you need to play |
|---|---|---|
| A supported digital game | Sign in to the owning account and install from Ready to Install | Access to the account that owns the game |
| A supported Xbox 360 disc | Insert the disc and let Xbox One download the game to its hard drive | The disc must remain in the drive |
Why the list is selective
On November 15, 2021, Xbox announced what it called the final addition to its backward-compatibility program: more than 70 Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games. Xbox said licensing, legal, and technical constraints limited its ability to add more. That figure describes the size of that 2021 addition, not the total number of compatible games. Read Xbox Wire’s announcement.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
Rank #4
- The Largest Collection of Classic SEGA Titles. Players will trip back in time with favorites including Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Columns, Eco the Dolphin and four titles from the Phantasy Star series, to name a few.
- Several Unlockable Titles. Included in the collection are arcade favorites such as Congo Bongo, Altered Beast, Zaxxon and more.
- All Titles Upgraded to Hi-Def. The classic 2D style never looked so good! Each title has been converted to hi-def (720p) and will be a blast to play using the intuitive controls of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems.
- Massive Multiplayer Options. Friends can play the 2-Player classics together in select games from the same console at home.
Rank #3
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
Rank #2
- The biggest, most Dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story
- Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the Dynamic and ever evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players
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