One of the big features of the Xbox Series X (and Xbox Series S) is the ability to play over 3000 classic Xbox games from across three generations of the platform, spanning Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
The vast majority of these simply run as they always did, albeit with improvements such as Auto HDR and anisotropic filtering, but the added power of the Xbox Series X also means they can run at more consistent framerates, especially when you've got the choice of an optional "performance mode" to take advantage of.
Games such as The Witcher 3, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and many others have been transformed by the capabilities of the Xbox Series X as a result, all without any work required by the developer.
With that in mind, then, which backwards compatible games have been impressing you the most on Xbox Series X so far? Has Auto HDR significantly enhanced some of your favourite titles? Have the fast loading times transformed those experiences? Or are you simply just enjoying those smooth, consistent framerates? Let us know below.
Comments 32
This will be extremely niche but I was running Mad Games Tycoon on the One X and it chugs when you get to a certain size office and zoom out. But on the Series X...👌
Honestly, Halo MCC. Even without the optimisation, the frame rate for Halo 1 and 2 Anniversary has been completely smoothed out.
It was painful stepping out onto Delta Halo and seeing the screen chug along like Thomas the Tank Engine on Spice, even on the One X. It's a joy to behold on the Series X.
@AJDarkstar
Are you talking about RDR1? I want to play though it again as I did so on PS3 and, while a great game, it looked awful. I heard the Xbox version looked better.
As for me, I've tried Black and the graphics are ok (looked magnificent in the PS2 era). Looked cleaner and brighter than in the original version.
Battlefield:Hardline looks great thanks to auto HDR. I'm about to try Silent Hill HD Collection. If that looks ok I'll get the MGS HD Collection as well.
Am I getting old as I just want Sensible Soccer to be a bit crispier?!
Just Cause 3 is completely transformed on Xbox Series X. It finally runs at a consistent framerate - it's fantastic!
Dark Souls III for me. The framerate was a bit all over the place on an OG Xbox One, but it's a rock solid 30fps on Series X with no stuttering or slowdown. 60fps would be nice, but I imagine that would require extra work on Microsoft or From Software's part.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies looks fantastic, as does Mirror's Edge and Sonic Generations.
@FraserG Just Cause 3 at a consistent framerate? What is this sorcery?
One game that I wasn't expecting to benefit a lot was Fallout 76.
There was lots of little hangs like when you open the map, check your pitboy, checking the scoreboard, or access a workbench, that I had assumed was caused by the game checking with the server, turns out it wasn't and all those tiny hangs and delays are just gone on series. Fast travel/initial load/transition doors all take 3-7 seconds. I keep getting caught out thinking I had time to check my phone only to hear a mod smacking my character around.
@nessisonett Right? It's so bizarre (and amazing).
Dead or Alive 6. Clearly.
The game can now be played in 4K at 60 fps (on One X, the 4K mode was struggling to attain 30 fps, so we were condamend to play on 1080p for the 60 fps).
Without any patch, the game looks more next-gen than ever.
The Witcher 3, the performance mode is so smooth it feels like a different game.
Microsoft please get Namco to port both air combat and soul calibur 4k pc settings please and thank you.
Haven’t played much yet but Geometry wars with HDR on a TV that handles HDR well is astounding.
Forza Horizon 4. So much better I deleted my save game (over 500 cars, mostly completed) and started again from the beginning
Dead or Alive 6, now 4K 60FPS without a patch.
And Bioshock Collection, now runs perfectly.
I've only tried a handful, but those 2 stand out for me.
I'll have to wait on my Series X. But it sounds like open worlds benefit more than most. That's my favorite genre, so I'm looking forward to it.
Assassins Creed Unity (staying offline to avoid the update) running at 60FPS looks great. Star Wars Fallen Order the same, really solid Framerate. The original RDR looks very nice but not sure it’s much of a leap over the One X.
Xenon Racer & Adam's Venture Origins both scrub up well; so much so I actually managed to finish Adams Venture
X-Com: The Bureau now is buttery smooth too
Having fun trying to find rubbish games that actually now playable
ssx 3 plays great,
just need Phil to get his act together and get Outrun coast to coast and Rally Sport Challenge running at 4k 60fps on back compat on my series x
Burnout Revenge looks and plays really well. The menus are a bit foggy looking, as they've always been, but the visuals in game are amazing.
Also Forza Horizon 4 is stunning looking and plays like a new game.
XCom 2 on Series X is marvelous! Smooth framerate, sharp, no jaggies and the loading times basically non existing.
I can't wait to test out my Xbox One Backlog once i get my Series X to see how much better they run.. Very exciting..
Conker Live & Reloaded could pass as a modern day game on the Series X. So pretty!
Played through Jedi: Fallen Order and performance, while not flawless, was simply amazing.
Load times were super fast and frame rate was practically locked to 60fps.
Very glad I waited so long to play it.
I have never really used BC until this past week. I was shocked to see how good Gears of War 3 looked at high res. Wish it would also get a 60 fps update as well. I was also shocked at how good the original Perfect Dark looked with hi res and 60 fps. Was that game remastered or something? Or is it using the same assets from the N64? I never got to play it on the N64.
Darksiders 3 never makes me sit through super long load times just walking from point a to be anymore. No frame dips, no texture pop in, and even feels more responsive.
But neither X-Men Legends or X-Men legends 2 are backward compatible so what’s the point. What’s the point! 😢
@mac70 is outrun coast to coast even back compatible at all?
@SpacemanJupiter
Yeah it was remastered for the 360 which is the version now running on Series X. Definitely didn’t look like that on the N64.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Dark_(2010_video_game)?wprov=sfti1
@norwichred
Sadly no (lights candle)
I didn't get the mid-gen One X so have been enjoying many of the X-Enhanced games at 4K like The Orange Box (incl. Half Life 2 and Portal!) as well as Star Wars the Force Unleashed which is really, really enjoyable.
Sticking with Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order runs at consistent frame rate without all the loading issues present on last gen systems.
Ori Will of the Wisps (does that count as it's had a Series X|S patch) looks breathtaking. Can't decide whether I prefer 120fps or 6K super-sampled.
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