Backward Compatibility FAQ
As the backward compatibility games list has grown, we've been fielding a number of questions from the gaming community. Here are the top questions and our answers. Q. What is Xbox backwards compatibility? A. Xbox® backwards compatibility enables original Xbox® games on the compatibility list to be played on your Xbox 360™ console. Backwards compatibility requires the Xbox 360™ Hard Drive. Q. What does it cost and how do I get it? A. There is no additional cost. Like all Xbox 360™ system software, backwards compatibility is updated from time-to-time. These updates are released through Xbox Live™ and can also be obtained in other ways described here. You must install the latest update to be able to play every game on the compatibility list and to play original Xbox® games on Xbox Live™. Q. How do I give my feedback to the team? A. E-mail backcomp@microsoft.com.We read every e-mail sent to this address.Your feedback makes a difference! We value your feedback and use it to help us identify issues and prioritize our next round of titles. We're sorry that we aren't able to reply to everyone directly. Q. When is the next update? A. We have a team of some of the best developers at Microsoft® dedicated to improving the compatibility of games already on the list and adding more games to the list.We’re not announcing any dates, because we honestly don't know how long it's going to take to support the next series of games. Q. What games will the next update support? A. With every release, we update the list of currently supported games.We've heard your feedback in the forums and in e-mail, and we have a good idea of what's most important to the majority of you. However, some games are harder to make backward compatible than other games.If your favorite game isn't working, chances are, it's just taking longer. We can’t know exactly which games will be added to the list until we complete the final test pass. Q. Are you working on <my favorite game>? A. Yes. We continue to work both on adding new games to the list and improving the compatibility of games already on the list. Q. Why did you include some games on the list that clearly weren't as popular as <my favorite game>? A. Todd Holmdahl answers this in his interview: "As we focused on the top sellers, we discovered that many other games worked due to similarities in their technology. As an added benefit, games that share engines and technology have been in some cases easier to certify for backward compatibility and have made the launch lineup as a result." Q. Are you intentionally trying to keep a game off the list because you want us to buy the Xbox 360™ version? A. Not at all. Our goal remains to get every game to be backward compatible. The only things influencing what games we're working on are how popular the title is, and how easy it is to make backward compatible. Several original Xbox® games on the list already have Xbox 360 counterparts. Q. Why aren't newer games working? A. Many of the games that have come out recently are more technically demanding than older titles, so they are taking longer. Our goal of updating every title hasn't changed, and we'll continue to prioritize our work based on your feedback. Q. Will new and future Xbox games be backward compatible? A. That's our goal. Reiterating Todd's Q & A: "We're not going to forget about the console that got us where we are today. Xbox still has a very bright future with many top-tier titles coming out from the world's best developers. To that end, we are working with developers to certify that their games will run on Xbox 360 down the line." Q. What if I have problems? A. Please read Technical Support and Known Issues for known problems and contact information. Q. Can I play original Xbox® games on Xbox Live™? A.Yes!You will need an Xbox Live™ Gold membership to connect to play original Xbox® games on Xbox Live™. Q. Can I play System Link between both Xbox® and Xbox 360™ consoles? A. Yes! System Link works with any mix of original Xbox® and Xbox 360™ consoles. Q. Can I use a Memory Unit with backwards compatibility? A.No, except for storing your Xbox Live™ profile.Original Xbox games are not able to access the Xbox 360™ Memory Unit. Also, the original Xbox® Memory Unit is not compatible with the Xbox 360™. Q. Can I transfer saved games or downloaded content between my Xbox® and Xbox 360™ consoles? A.No. In fact, all downloaded content and many saved games already cannot be transferred from one Xbox® console to another. However, all free downloadable content for original Xbox® games plus premium content for Halo 2 is available for free. Simply insert the game disc, connect to Xbox Live™, and choose to download this content as you would on an original Xbox. Q. Can I play custom soundtracks like on the original Xbox? A. Not while playing original Xbox® games. You can do this while playing games made for the Xbox 360™. Q. Some games have black boxes on either side when I play in widescreen 16:9 resolution.Can I stretch them to fit my screen? A. Yes. Set your Xbox 360™ to use 480p. Please see this KB article for additional details. Q. Some PAL games do not play or display an all-green screen. What’s wrong? A. You cannot play some PAL games using the VGA HD AV Cable. Please see this KB article for additional details.
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