People around the world have been asking for backward-compatible consoles to be the standard for a long time. Finally, that has become a reality with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 being backward compatible from day one. That said, these systems cannot play every game released before their debuts.

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Backward compatibility is not something to be treated lightly. Bringing games from across various generations to modern consoles is technical ingenuity at its finest. This process can mean upscaled resolutions and enhanced features, but it mostly allows people to stick to one console. While not the first console to offer the feature, the Xbox One's backward compatibility program helped bring it back to prominence. What are the best backwards-compatible Xbox games?

Updated December 24, 2023 by Mark Sammut: The specifications have been added for every listed backwards-compatible Xbox game, including their developers and genres.

19 Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 82

Outside the Nintendo ecosystem, good kart racers are in short supply, so the few that do exist need to be cherished and preserved. Debuting in 2012, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a fantastic spin-off that plays like a dream, still looks pretty nice, and has a decent amount of content. Sonic fans are obviously the target audience, but someone does not need to have an interest in the Blue Blur to appreciate this game's tight controls and fun gameplay.

Sega has given no indication that a sequel to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is in the works. If that announcement never comes to pass, at least fans can play this splendid title across multiple generations of Xbox consoles.

18 Zone Of The Enders HD Collection (Xbox 360)

Metascore: 75

Unfortunately, 2018's Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner remaster was only released on PS4 and PC, perhaps because the game came with VR headset support. Fortunately, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One owners can play 2012's Zone of the Enders HD Collection, which contains both games in the franchise.

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The 2nd Runner is the main reason this collection is worth picking up as it greatly improves upon its predecessor's combat and presentation. It is also a very challenging and punishing game, albeit one that gives players all the tools they need to succeed.

17 F.E.A.R. Trilogy (Xbox 360)

Metascore: 85 (F.E.A.R)

A trio of first-person horror games, F.E.A.R. sadly only lasted a single generation, but the series produced some gems in that time. While the sequels are solid shooters in their own right, 2005's F.E.A.R. is the franchise's crowning achievement, delivering an experience that genuinely manages to be unsettling.

The story revolves around a special forces team who are called in to contain a supernatural threat in the form of the iconic Alma. It is best to go into these games blind, and the first entry's story and scares hold up well.

As a bonus, F.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. 3 have also received an FPS boost.

16 Skate 2 (Xbox 360)

Metascore: 84

Along with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Skate set the standard for extreme sports games. Skate 2 builds upon the very solid foundations of its predecessor, dropping players into an urban open-world filled with challenges, guards, and rails to grind.

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Unlike its more accessible contemporary, Skate 2's controls are more complex, and practice is the name of the game here. Likely, Skate 2's gameplay loop is addictive and fun, so the journey to becoming San Vanelona's greatest skater is never a boring one.

Revisit Skate 2 to pass the time until Skate 4 becomes a reality.

15 Dead Or Alive 4 (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 85

An Xbox 360 exclusive, Dead Or Alive 4 is a strong entry in a fighting franchise that produces nothing but great games. Released in 2005, Dead Or Alive 4 doesn't revamp the gameplay too significantly, but it does introduce a few mechanics that expand on the combat options.

For anyone unfamiliar with this series, Dead Or Alive 4 has free-flowing combat built upon a rock, paper, scissors system – strikes trump throws, throws beat holds, and holds defeat strikes.

14 Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 78

While the genre has been better represented in recent years, Xbox is not synonymous with JRPGs. During the Xbox 360 era, Microsoft dipped its toes into the genre, spawning two awesome exclusives in Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. These releases proved to be exceptions rather than the start of something special, but they are at least backward compatible.

Out of the two, Lost Odyssey is the superior experience. Boasting a turn-based battle system that harkens back to Square's '90s JRPGs, Lost Odyssey features an epic story, a large map to explore, and stellar visuals. Although its antiquated gameplay might put off people more accustomed to modern JRPGs, anyone fond of the classics would be doing themselves a disservice if they did not give Lost Odyssey a try. The same goes for Blue Dragon.

13 Fable Trilogy (Xbox & Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 89 (Fable 2)

Lionhead Studios' Fable games have a weird reputation. On the one hand, the series never quite lived up to the promises made prior to its debut; conversely, each entry – especially Fable and Fable 2 – delivers engaging adventures filled with whimsical characters and ambitious mechanics.

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If there is one thing the series excels at, it is crafting living, breathing worlds overflowing with personality and a sense of discovery. Albion is one of gaming's all-time great settings, and it deserves to be playable across as many generations as possible. Hopefully, it is only a matter of time before a new Fable game becomes a reality; even if that day never comes to pass, the original trilogy will still be available as some of the best backward-compatible Xbox games.

12 Max Payne Trilogy (Xbox & Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 89 (Max Payne)

A contender for the most exciting collection included in the Xbox's final backward compatible additions, the Max Payne trilogy can now be played on the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. Telling the tragic story of a former detective torn by the death of his family, Max Payne is haunting, entertaining, and unforgettable.

While the franchise's bullet time mechanic is very much a product of the post-Matrix era, that does nothing to hamper just how fun these games are to play. At this point, it doesn't seem that likely that a Max Payne 4 will see the light of day anytime soon, so it is at least nice to have the trilogy available on modern consoles.

11 TimeSplitters 2 & Future Perfect (Xbox)

Metacritic: 88 (TimeSplitters 2)

It is always a good day when TimeSplitters steps into the spotlight. Producing some of the most enjoyable multiplayer-focused shooters of the early 2000s, TimeSplitters 2 and Future Perfect are an absolute blast to play. While their stories aren't groundbreaking, they are fun romps through time, blending engaging FPS gameplay with cool environments and quirky characters.

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As these games were never released on PC, the franchise isn't particularly easy to revisit all these years later. The Xbox's backward compatibility program should increase TimeSplitters' visibility, hopefully fueling interest in the franchise as a new entry is currently in development.

10 Fallout: New Vegas (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 84

Fallout's 3D era has been largely a success, even if there have been a few bumps along the way. Bethesda's mainline entries are (mostly) highly regarded, but an argument could be made that the best modern Fallout was not developed by the license's owner.

Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas launched in a rough, buggy state, but once those issues were ironed out, the game's strong writing and world-building could shine through unimpeded. The amazing thing is that, even after all these years, the game's strengths and weaknesses have remained the same. More importantly, the former far outnumber the latter.

9 Perfect Dark (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 79

The Nintendo 64 cult classic Perfect Dark is available on Xbox One as part of the Rare Replay collection. The Rare Replay collection features the same classic gameplay of Perfect Dark that wowed people at its initial release.

To top things off, the Xbox One version has a Snapshots mode that makes taking pictures a breeze. Rare Replay is the best way to experience Perfect Dark, and the collection comes with 29 other games.

8 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 93

Before Grand Theft Auto 5 shook the industry with densely packed content on a large map,Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was groundbreaking. This microcosm of California of Nevada is not immune to the effects of gang warfare and crime.

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For the first time in the series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas incorporated RPG elements that worked seamlessly. One could work on character attributes as they wreaked havoc (or acted as a law-abiding citizen) in the fictional state of San Andreas. This masterpiece is a must-play on Xbox's backward compatibility.

7 Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)

Metacritic: 94

Team Ninja revived Ninja Gaiden in 2004, a revamp that propelled the franchise back into the limelight. While not every release was a success, at its best, the series' projects sit at the pinnacle of the hack and slash genre, and many would argue that Ninja Gaiden Black represents the absolute summit. Released solely on the Xbox, this version serves as an upgrade to the 2004 release, and it is notably superior.

Along with more difficulty levels, Black incorporated subtle but important changes to the campaign, including the implementation of new enemies. While Ninja Gaiden is still very good, Black is so much better that it renders its predecessor obsolete.

6 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (Xbox)

Metacritic: 87

In recent years, major RPGs have almost always debuted on most available consoles, but that was not always the case. Except for PC, Bethesda's Morrowind was only available on the original Xbox, a feat that was very impressive for the era. An expansive open-world with striking visuals and great writing, the 2002 release was an epic game by most metrics.

Nowadays, the game shows its age and can be difficult to revisit, particularly by newcomers who have no nostalgic attachment to it. That said, Morrowind's story and world are still fantastic enough to justify a recommendation to players who love Skyrim and Oblivion​​​​​​.

5 Mass Effect Trilogy (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 91

Rather than sort out which of the games is the best (it is Mass Effect 2), it makes sense to group them all into one. The Mass Effect trilogy was released for the Xbox 360 and is considered one of the greatest sci-fi trilogies of all time.

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The original games are works of art that hit the mark in their storytelling, presentation, and even gameplay (to an extent), even if they have felt outdated since the release of the Legendary Edition. The latter is the best way to experience BioWare's seminal trilogy in the 2020s, but if someone has the original discs sitting at home and feels like starting a fresh adventure with Commander Shepard, they can make use of the Xbox Series X's backward-compatibility feature.

4 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Xbox)

Metacritic: 94

Splinter Cell's long absence has been painful, and the original game's remake cannot come soon enough. In the meantime, fans can always look to the past and play through one of Sam Fisher's many stealth-themed adventures.

Four Splinter Cell games are backward compatible, including 2013's brilliant Blacklist; however, if forced to highlight just one project, it would have to be Chaos Theory. Hailed as one of the best stealth games of all time, Chaos Theory's AI, level design, and tools were ahead of the curve in 2005, and they have aged very well.

3 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic (Xbox)

Metacritic: 94

BioWare is responsible for some of the greatest RPGs of the 2000s, and KOTOR manages to stand out as something special within that elite group. Like many of the developer's releases of this era, the combat system leaves something to be desired, especially all these years later; thankfully, the same cannot be said for the story.

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KOTOR's writing is among BioWare's strongest, and that extends to the quests, characters, and dialogue. While the gameplay is not fantastic, the game does make up for it with build options that provide players with quite a bit of room for experimentation.

2 Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 95

In 2023, Rockstar ported Red Dead Redemption to the PS4 and Switch, skipping the Xbox One since the console can run the original Xbox 360 version. Chronicling John Marston's harrowing journey to save his family, RDR is an ambitious open-world game that authentically brings to life the tail-end of the Wild West.

Anyone who has only played RDR2 should track down a copy of its predecessor (and sequel) so they can get the full story, an area the original game excels. Gameplay-wise, RDR is far less concerned with minute-to-minute realism than its successor, which some players might find to be an improvement.

1 Portal 1 & 2 (Xbox 360)

Metacritic: 95 (Portal 2)

Valve has largely moved on from game development over the last decade, but its classics are timeless. Portal and its superior sequel are must-play puzzle games that arguably set the bar for the overall genre, and they even feature one of the greatest villains in gaming.

Portal 2 is especially brilliant as it provides a more robust and complete experience than its short predecessor. While at their best on PC, the games run well on consoles, so there is no reason to not try them on a modern Xbox system.

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