Xbox One X is the clear choice for playing older console games. It runs every Xbox One title, plus a curated list of Xbox 360 and original Xbox games through an on-board emulator. PS4 Pro runs every PS4 game, but it does not read PS3, PS2, or PS1 discs; PS3 access on PS4 is limited to a separately curated cloud-streaming catalog.
That answer covers true backward compatibility. A second question is often mixed in: how each mid-generation console improves games from its own era. Xbox One X usually renders supported Xbox One games at a higher resolution, while PS4 Pro relies on developer patches, checkerboard or native 4K modes, HDR, and optional Boost Mode.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 Pro | Playing the complete PS4 library with optional Pro enhancements | Every PS4 disc and digital title; no native PS3, PS2, or PS1 disc support | PS4 family | Oct 2026 |
| Xbox One X | Playing Xbox One games plus selected Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles | Curated emulator catalog; some backward-compatible games receive up to 9× (360) or 16× (original Xbox) the original pixel count | Xbox One family | Oct 2026 |
What does “backward compatibility” mean here?
There are two different features behind searches for this comparison. True backward compatibility means inserting an older-generation disc or downloading an older-generation license and having the console run it. Same-generation enhancement means improving a game made for the console’s own generation; a 4K patch for a PS4 game is not PS3 compatibility, and an Xbox One X Enhanced patch for an Xbox One game is not Xbox 360 emulation.
The distinction matters because PS4 Pro and Xbox One X take opposite approaches to older software. PS4 Pro is a faster PS4 with no local emulator for earlier PlayStation hardware. Xbox One X includes Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and original Xbox emulation, but only for titles that were added to a whitelist.
Does PS4 Pro have backward compatibility?
PS4 Pro plays every PS4 game, but it has no native backward compatibility for PS3, PS2, or PS1 games. This applies to both physical PS4 discs and PS4 digital licenses, whether or not a developer released a Pro patch.
Every PS4 game works
A PS4 game without a Pro patch still launches and plays on PS4 Pro. A patch can add checkerboard or native 4K output, HDR, improved effects, supersampling on a 1080p display, or a higher or steadier frame rate, but the patch is optional for compatibility. IGN’s Pro-upgrade list is therefore an enhancement reference, not a list of games that the console can run.
PS3, PS2, and PS1 discs do not run
PS4 Pro does not read PS3, PS2, or original PlayStation discs, and local PSN purchases for those systems do not become executable PS4 software. VGCL’s July 2026 compatibility summary describes the hardware rule directly: PS4’s x86-64 architecture cannot run the Cell-based code used by PS3, leaving PS4 as the mainline PlayStation console with no native compatibility for an earlier generation.
PS3 streaming is a separate service
PS3 games can be streamed to PS4 through PlayStation Now’s successor, PlayStation Plus Premium, when a particular title is in the current cloud catalog. Streaming requires the paid subscription and a stable internet connection; it does not make a PS3 disc or a locally purchased PS3 download work on the PS4 Pro. Sony’s live 2026 catalog changes over time, so check the current listing for the exact game.
What Boost Mode changes
PS4 Pro’s optional Boost Mode can raise or stabilize frame rates in some older, unpatched PS4 games. Ars Technica described it as a performance feature for PS4 software, not an emulator for PS3 or earlier systems. It can improve a same-generation game’s behavior without changing the game’s generation or adding disc compatibility.
Does Xbox One X play Xbox 360 games?
Yes, but only selected Xbox 360 games. Xbox One X runs the full Xbox One library and a curated Xbox 360 list through software emulation. The same family of emulation also supports a smaller, curated original Xbox catalog.
How the Xbox emulator works
When a supported Xbox 360 disc is inserted, the console downloads a digital compatibility package and then launches an emulated Xbox 360 environment. A digital purchase works the same way. TrueAchievements explains that the disc is effectively a license for the digital package; the original 360 code runs inside the emulator rather than directly on Xbox One hardware.
Microsoft’s program required publisher permission before a game could be repackaged. As TrueAchievements noted, missing games are primarily a licensing problem, not proof that the One X lacks the processing power to run them. That is why a famous Xbox 360 title can be absent while a technically demanding game is supported.
What carries over for Xbox 360 games
Supported Xbox 360 purchases do not require a second purchase. Xbox Wire stated that owners keep saves, add-ons, Achievements, and Gamerscore, while gaining Xbox One features such as screenshots, Game DVR, and Windows 10 streaming. Supported multiplayer can also connect Xbox One and Xbox 360 players when the game’s services and the account’s access allow it.
How large is the Xbox One backward-compatible catalog?
There is no single official frozen integer that Microsoft uses for the complete Xbox One catalog. The program expanded in dated batches, then stopped, and different trackers count regional versions, disc-only entries, and bundles differently.
| Date or snapshot | Reported catalog | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Nov 2015 | 104 Xbox 360 games | Eurogamer and Ars Technica launch reporting |
| 24 Oct 2017 | More than 400 Xbox 360 games and the first 13 original Xbox games | Xbox Wire, when original Xbox compatibility launched |
| 27 Feb 2018 | More than 460 Xbox 360 games, 11 Xbox One X Enhanced 360 games, and 13 original Xbox games | Xbox Wire snapshot |
| Aug 2020 | Over 500 Xbox 360 games and 39 original Xbox games | Ars Technica citing Microsoft’s then-current list |
| Nov 2021 | 76 additions: 58 Xbox 360 and 18 original Xbox | Eurogamer and GameSpot coverage of the final anniversary update |
| Apr 2026 | 632 of 2,155 Xbox 360 games | Video Game Heaven’s unofficial count |
| July 2026 | 577+ Xbox 360 titles and roughly 700 combined 360/original Xbox games before the freeze | VGCL estimate; use as a ballpark, not an official total |
Microsoft wound down regular additions in mid-2019 while preparing support for Xbox Series X|S, then made one final update in November 2021 for Xbox’s 20th anniversary. No new Xbox One backward-compatible titles have been added since that final dump.
Which Xbox 360 games work on Xbox One X?
The list is large enough that a title-by-title article is less useful than a searchable freeze-era list. Eurogamer’s list updated 19 November 2021, GameSpot’s 22 November 2021 list, and the living TrueAchievements list let you search the exact edition before buying a disc.
Recognizable supported examples
- Microsoft series: Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, Gears of War: Judgment, Halo 3, Halo: Reach, Fable II, Fable III, and Fable Anniversary.
- Role-playing and open-world games: Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Mass Effect, and Grand Theft Auto IV.
- Action and racing: BioShock, BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite, Mirror’s Edge, Skate 3, and later Call of Duty entries including Black Ops and Black Ops II.
- Other notable entries: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Assassin’s Creed, Crackdown, Forza Horizon, and several Final Fantasy XIII games.
This is illustrative rather than exhaustive. A game’s title alone is not enough: the list can distinguish a physical release from a digital release, a regional SKU, or a particular edition.
Disc-only, delisted, and regional cases
Some supported games are disc-only, including examples such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Battlefield 3, several Xbox 360 Assassin’s Creed versions, Forza Horizon, and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary on some lists. A delisted digital game can remain playable if it was previously purchased, and a supported disc can still install its compatibility package, but an unpurchased delisted title cannot necessarily be newly acquired from the store. Regional restrictions also apply; verify the exact release shown in the compatibility list.
Which original Xbox games work on Xbox One X?
Original Xbox compatibility is a smaller subset of the program. Supported discs can be used, and many titles can be bought digitally, but availability varies by region and release format.
Examples from the final named list
- Action and adventure: Black, BloodRayne 2, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Dead to Rights, Destroy All Humans!, Jade Empire, Manhunt, Max Payne, Max Payne 2, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, Ninja Gaiden Black, Otogi, Otogi 2, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Red Dead Revolver.
- Role-playing and strategy: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Gladius, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II, Sid Meier’s Pirates!, and Psychonauts.
- Racing and multiplayer-focused games: SSX 3, Fuzion Frenzy, TimeSplitters 2, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, and Conker: Live & Reloaded.
- Star Wars and stealth: Battlefront, Battlefront II, Republic Commando, Jedi Academy, Jedi Outcast, and the Splinter Cell quartet.
Original Xbox games do not receive Achievements because the original system did not provide that feature. Original Xbox Live online multiplayer is also unavailable; offline co-op and system-link scenarios are supported where the original game provided them. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an example of a title that is automatically upgraded to its Xbox 360 version.
How does Xbox One X enhance backward-compatible games?
Xbox One X’s distinctive older-game feature is an emulator enhancement called the Heutchy Method. Xbox Wire explained that it lets the emulator present a higher-resolution version using the existing assets without changing the game code.
Xbox 360 enhancement
Xbox Wire stated that Xbox One X Enhanced 360 games run at a higher resolution and 9× the original pixel count. A 360 title that originally rendered at 1280×720 can therefore reach 3840×2160 on a capable 4K display. The official 27 February 2018 list contained 11 games: Assassin’s Creed, Crackdown, Fable Anniversary, Fallout 3, Forza Horizon, Gears of War 3, Halo 3, Mirror’s Edge, Oblivion, Skate 3, and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.
The enhanced list later grew. Eurogamer’s freeze-era list also flags Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Darksiders, Fable II, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy XIII-2. Do not use Wikipedia’s 436-game Xbox One X Enhanced count as a backward-compatibility total; that figure mixes native Xbox One games with Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles.
Original Xbox enhancement
Original Xbox games can reach up to four times the original pixel count on Xbox One and Xbox One S, and up to 16 times the original pixel count on Xbox One X, according to Xbox Wire. These are enhancements to emulated original games, not remasters with newly authored assets.
Graphics and Performance settings
For an enhanced 360 game, press View + Menu to open the Xbox 360 guide, then choose Settings → Xbox One X Settings → Graphics. Graphics mode uses the higher-resolution presentation, extra texture detail, and antialiasing; Performance mode uses behavior comparable to Xbox One or Xbox One S. Changing the setting requires restarting the game.
All backward-compatible games receive baseline emulator benefits on Xbox One hardware, not only the enhanced subset. Video Game Heaven describes more stable frame rates, dynamic-resolution games reaching their cap more often, 16× anisotropic filtering, forced V-sync, and variable-refresh-rate support on a compatible display. These improvements do not turn every game into a native 4K title.
How do PS4 Pro and Xbox One X enhance same-generation games?
This is separate from backward compatibility. PS4 Pro enhancements apply to PS4 games; Xbox One X Enhanced patches apply to Xbox One games. The developer decides which rendering modes and frame-rate targets a game uses.
| Game | Xbox One X resolution | PS4 Pro resolution | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 4 | 3840×2160 | 2560×1440 | IGN comparison chart, updated 2 Apr 2018 |
| Far Cry 5 | 3840×2160 | 2880×1620 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Overwatch | 3840×2160 | 1920×1080 (with a 4K user interface noted separately) | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Titanfall 2 | 3840×2160 | 2560×1440 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Star Wars Battlefront II | 3840×2160 | 2560×1440 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Diablo III | 3840×2160 | 3072×1728 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Hitman | 3840×2160 | 2560×1440 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Assassin’s Creed Origins | 3584×2016 | 2816×1584 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018 |
| Monster Hunter: World | 3072×1728 | 3200×1800 | IGN, 2 Apr 2018; the exception in this sample |
In this dated comparison, Xbox One X is usually the higher-resolution machine, but “4K” does not mean every frame is native 3840×2160 in every mode. PS4 Pro’s supported games can use checkerboard reconstruction, native rendering, HDR, supersampling, or a locked 60-fps option. The exact mode depends on the game’s patch and display settings.
Non-Enhanced Xbox One games can still benefit from the One X’s extra GPU headroom: dynamic resolution may hit its ceiling more often, frame rates can be steadier, 16× anisotropic filtering and forced V-sync may apply, and VRR works with a compatible display. Those are hardware-level benefits, not proof that a game has an Xbox One X Enhanced patch.
How do I check whether a specific game works?
Xbox One X steps
- Open My games & apps.
- Choose See all, then Full library.
- Open Filter and select Xbox 360 & Xbox.
- Search the exact title and edition. Check whether the entry says disc only, digital only, or a regional restriction.
- For a disc, insert it while the console is online. A supported disc downloads the compatibility package; the disc remains the license needed to launch it.
For a title you do not own, consult a freeze-era compatibility list before buying. TrueAchievements also maintains a not-compatible list, which is useful for confirming that a famous omission is intentional rather than a search error.
PS4 Pro steps
- If the game is a PS4 disc, insert it; if it is a PS4 digital license, download it from the library.
- For a PS3 game, do not expect the disc or local PSN download to launch.
- If streaming is acceptable, check whether the title is currently included in PlayStation Plus Premium’s PS3 cloud catalog and confirm that the subscription is active.
- For visual upgrades, look for the game’s PS4 Pro patch notes or the developer’s supported-mode information; an unpatched game can still play normally.
Do I have to buy my old games again?
For a supported Xbox 360 title, no. A digital Xbox 360 license associated with the account is recognized on Xbox One, and a supported physical disc authorizes the downloaded compatibility package. Saves, add-ons, Achievements, and Gamerscore carry over for Xbox 360 compatibility.
That ownership rule does not make every disc supported. An unsupported disc remains unsupported, and a delisted game that was never purchased may not be available to buy digitally. Original Xbox games follow the same disc-or-digital access model, but they do not add Achievements or restore original Xbox Live online play.
What limitations should you expect?
- Whitelist, not a generation-wide promise: Xbox One X does not play the entire Xbox 360 catalog.
- Licensing and regional editions: publisher permission, music rights, regional SKUs, and edition differences can determine whether a title appears.
- Disc conversion needs internet: the first installation of a supported disc downloads the digital compatibility package.
- Delistings change availability: previously purchased licenses and supported discs can remain useful even after a store delisting, but new digital purchases may be impossible.
- Original Xbox online features: original Xbox Live multiplayer and Achievements are not restored.
- Different console families: PS4 games do not run on Xbox One X, and Xbox games do not run on PS4 Pro.
- Discontinued hardware: both consoles are discontinued, so used-market condition, firmware, storefront status, and included accessories vary.
- Do not confuse generations: FPS Boost and Auto HDR advertised for Xbox backward compatibility are Xbox Series X|S features, not Xbox One X features.
Which console is better for backward compatibility?
Choose Xbox One X if your priority is older Xbox software. It is the only console here that accepts a meaningful selection of previous-generation discs, preserves Xbox 360 saves and Achievements, and can render selected 360 and original Xbox games at much higher resolutions.
Choose PS4 Pro if your library is primarily PS4 and you want the broadest guarantee for that generation. Every PS4 game works regardless of a Pro patch, but earlier PlayStation discs require original hardware or, for selected PS3 titles, a current cloud-streaming subscription.
For same-generation multiplatform games, Xbox One X generally has the higher output resolution in the cited 2018 comparisons, while PS4 Pro’s strongest cases are games with well-designed Pro patches and modes such as checkerboard 4K, HDR, supersampling, or a targeted 60-fps option. That performance comparison should not be mistaken for a difference in older-generation disc support.
How this comparison was scoped
The comparison separates native generation support, curated emulation, cloud streaming, and same-generation enhancement. Catalog figures are dated snapshots from Microsoft or named trackers rather than a single invented total. Game examples are representative entries from the freeze-era lists, and resolution figures are the published 2018 comparisons cited above; no independent performance testing is implied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Xbox One X play a delisted Xbox 360 game from a disc?
It can if that exact disc release is on the compatibility whitelist. The console still needs to download the compatibility package the first time, while the disc remains the launch license; delisting mainly prevents new digital purchases.
Does Xbox One X support FPS Boost or Auto HDR?
Those features belong to Xbox Series X|S backward compatibility. Xbox One X has its own emulator improvements and selected 9× or 16× pixel enhancements, but Series-era FPS Boost and Auto HDR should not be attributed to it.
Are Xbox backward-compatible games region locked?
Some entries are region-specific, disc-only, or tied to a particular release. Check the regional SKU in a current compatibility list before importing a disc or assuming that a digital version is available in your store.
Can PS4 Pro stream any PS3 game I own?
No. Streaming is limited to the titles currently offered in the PlayStation Plus Premium cloud catalog, and owning a PS3 disc or download does not automatically add that game to the catalog. Availability can change by region and date.