• Set Up Your System
• Family Settings (Xbox LIVE)
• Connectivity Video
• Join Xbox LIVE

Play Xbox 360 Games

The Xbox 360 console can play only game discs licensed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and select backward-compatible games made for the original Xbox system. Licensed games bear this logo:

For the latest information about Xbox 360 games, visit www.xbox.com/games.

For everything you need to know about backward compatibility—including a complete list of backward-compatible original Xbox games—see Q & A: Backward Compatibility.

To start a game:

1. Press the eject button on your console or select Open Tray from any area of the Xbox Dashboard to open the disc tray.
2. Place the Xbox 360 game disc on the disc tray with the label facing out.
3. Press the eject button or select Close Tray from any area of the Xbox Dashboard (except System) to close the disc tray. The game will start.

If Xbox can detect the name of your game, the tray will display Play (name of game). Otherwise, it'll display Play Game.

You also can see your game progress in the Xbox Dashboard disc tray, which displays the game, its icon, your earned Gamerscore, and your achievements.

If a game is loaded but you've stopped playing to do something else in the Xbox Dashboard, simply select to play the game from any area of the Xbox Dashboard (except System) to continue playing.

Play Games on Xbox LIVE

If you have a high-speed Internet account, you can instantly become an Xbox LIVE Silver member by simply connecting an Ethernet cable from your broadband modem to the Ethernet port on the back of the console. You'll then be able to create a gamertag, access the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, view gamer cards, participate in chats, get voice messages, make friends, and use Xbox LIVE Family Settings. Xbox LIVE Silver members get limited-time gameplay through special events like free Xbox LIVE Gold weekend play, Xbox LIVE Game with Fame, and Xbox LIVE Prime Time.

If you're ready for the full Xbox LIVE experience, sign up for an Xbox LIVE Gold membership. Xbox LIVE Gold gives you all the features of Xbox LIVE Silver, plus online multiplayer gaming, enhanced matchmaking and feedback tools, privileges and rewards on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, and media features such as music and photo sharing.

The Games Library

The Games Library is a repository for your games and other content that you've downloaded from Marketplace. It links directly to the Game Store, where you can get games and other fun stuff from Xbox LIVE Arcade, Xbox Originals, Demos, and XNA Creators Club. You can set it to automatically download trial versions of Xbox LIVE Arcade games.The Games library remembers the game you played most recently and shows you in real time what your friends are playing.

To use the Games Library

1. Go to the Games blade on the Xbox Dashboard and select Games Library.
2. Select any of the following:
   • My Games. Find all games in your collection.
   • Last Played Game. Go directly to your last played game.
   • Friends Playing Now. See what your friends are playing for all game types. Join in the fun or download the game to play on your own.
   • Game Store. Download Xbox LIVE Arcade games, Xbox Originals, Xbox 360 game demos, themes and gamer pictures, game add-ons, game videos, and more.
   • Auto Downloads. Automatically download free trial versions of new Xbox LIVE Arcade games to your console hard drive. You must be signed in to Xbox LIVE to download games.

For More Info

To join Xbox LIVE, see Join Xbox LIVE with Xbox 360.

For information about connecting to Xbox LIVE, see Connect to Xbox LIVE.

Configure your Xbox 360 system for Xbox LIVE using our Web Connectivity Wizard.

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