As the Xbox 360 release date has approached, everyone continues to ask if their games from the original Xbox will play on their new 360. We can tell you that more than 200 games have already been tested for backward compatibility on the 360, and Microsoft continues to add others.

Here are the most frequent questions:

Why are will all original Xbox games not play on the 360?
The architecture (i.e. hardware components) of the 360 are drastically different than the original Xbox. To allow games to play on the new system, an emulator must actually be created (or tweaked) to account for the differences.

Are their benefits to playing Xbox games on the 360?
Yes. Every original Xbox game will be playable in high definition. The 360 has the ability to upscale the games to 720p and 1080i.

Is a hard drive needed for backward compatibility?
Yes. It does not matter if a hard drive came bundled with your 360 or if you purchased it at a later date, but one must be present for backward compatibility.

What games from the original Xbox will play on the Xbox 360?

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends more on entertainment than they do on gasoline, household furnishings and clothing combined, and nearly the same amount as spent on dining out.
Household spending on entertainment has outpaced overall expenditures over the past 10 years, by more than doubling during this time. Household earning […]