Microsoft Announces First 104 Xbox 360 Games That Work on Xbox One

Microsoft has announced the first 104 Xbox 360 games that will work with Xbox One backwards compatibility. On November 12, those games will be playable on Microsoft’s latest console. This includes, for example, all Gears of War games.

In addition to the Gears of War games, Assassin’s Creed II, Fallout 3, Mass Effect and Mirror’s Edge can also be played. The list also includes indie games such as Super Meat Boy and classics such as Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. Microsoft’s Mike Ybarra announced the news on Xbox Wire. The company immediately set up a web page where players can check the backwards compatibility of various games.

Microsoft runs an emulator on the console to make sure the old games work without much tweaking. The emulator works at the software and not the hardware level. The latter means that games that require peripherals such as the Kinect are left out. What will be possible with Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One is taking screenshots, streaming to Twitch and even in-home streaming to a Windows 10 PC. Through the guide, players can also use things like matchmaking and achievements.

On November 12, 104 games will be playable on the Xbox One, provided players have the games for the Xbox 360. Placing the DVD in the Xbox One adds the game to the player’s library. Digital titles appear automatically. November 12 is also the day that the Xbox One gets its Windows 10 update. In December, Microsoft plans to add Halo: Reach, Halo Wars, Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and Bioshock Infinite to the list, among others. In addition, new games must be added regularly until the catalog is filled, according to Bill Stillwell of the Xbox Platform Team. So it’s not entirely clear whether every Xbox 360 title will come to the Xbox One.