Microsoft announced that it was putting its Xbox backward compatibility program on hold two years ago, but it will be returning today for a final update to the catalog. To commemorate 20 years of Xbox, Microsoft is adding 76 new games (full list below) to the backward compatibility library today. It’s a surprisingly long list of additions, including the entire Max Payne series, Skate 2, Dead or Alive Ultimate, and Star Wars Jedi Knight II.
“This latest and final addition of 70+ titles to the backwards compatibility program was only possible through the passion and feedback from the community,” explains Peggy Lo, compatibility program lead at Xbox. “[Xbox fans’] constant requests for specific titles and enhancements encouraged the backwards compatibility team to partner with the original creators to preserve thousands of games from over four generations of Xbox.”
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 games will all support Auto HDR on the new Xbox X / S consoles, and original Xbox titles will get a resolution boost as well. Original Xbox games will have a 4x resolution increase on the Xbox One X and an Xbox Series X, compared to previous iterations of the console.
Xbox backward compatibility program: FPS Boost is now available
The majority of the Enhanced games will be FPS Boost-enabled, which means they’ll run at a higher frame rate (60 vs. 30). 11 of the new titles enable FPS Boost, bringing the total framerate to 60fps. FPS Boost is also coming to 26 existing backward compatible games today, including the entire Gears of War franchise, Fallout 3 , and Fallout: New Vegas.
While Microsoft said two years ago it had “no plans to add additional original Xbox or Xbox 360 titles to the catalog,” the surprise addition of more than 70 games will be the final time we’ll see new backward compatible games. “While we continue to stay focused on preserving and enhancing the art form of games, we have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog from the past due to licensing, legal and technical constraints” explains Peggy Lo.
Even so, the list includes classics such as Ridge Racer 6 and TimeSplitters 2. Many fans of these games may be tempted to buy an Xbox Series X or Series S console just to play them again.
FPS Boost is now available to 33 titles on Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud), including Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and The Evil Within 2.
Full list of 76 new Xbox backward compatible games
- 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
- Aces of the Galaxy
- Advent Rising
- Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom
- Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade
- Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth
- Bankshot Billiards 2
- Beautiful Katamari
- Binary Domain
- Black College Football Xperience: Doug Williams Ed
- Cloning Clyde
- Conan
- Darwinia+
- Dead or Alive Ultimate
- Dead or Alive 3
- Dead or Alive 4
- Death by Cube
- Disney Universe
- Disney’s Chicken Little
- Elements of Destruction
- F.E.A.R.
- F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
- F.E.A.R. 3
- F.E.A.R. Files
- The First Templar
- Gladius
- Gunvalkyrie
- Islands of Wakfu
- Lego The Lord of the Rings
- Manhunt
- Max Payne
- Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
- Max Payne 3
- Mini Ninjas
- Mortal Kombat
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
- MX vs. ATV Alive
- MX vs. ATV Untamed
- NIER
- Novadrome
- Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee
- Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad
- Otogi: Myth of Demons
- Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors
- The Outfit
- Outpost Kaloki X
- Quake Arena Arcade
- R.A.W. – Realms of Ancient War
- Red Dead Revolver
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
- Ridge Racer 6
- Rio
- Risen
- Risen 2: Dark Waters
- Rock of Ages
- Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
- Scramble
- Screwjumper!
- Secret Weapons Over Normandy
- Skate 2
- SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam!
- SpongeBob’s Truth or Square
- Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
- Switchball
- Thrillville
- Thrillville: Off the Rails
- Time Pilot
- TimeSplitters 2
- TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
- Toy Story Mania!
- Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment
- Viva Piñata: Party Animals
- Warlords
