Todd Holmdahl von Microsoft hat sich zum Thema Abwärtskompatibilität zu Wort gemeldet und alle wichtigen Details verraten. Über 200 Xbox-Games können auf der Nachfolger-Konsole gespielt werden, allerdings gibt es einen Haken. Alle "alten" Spiele benötigen einen (knapp fünf MB großen) Emulator, den ihr via Xbox Live, von Xbox.com oder per Post (Update-CD/DVD) bekommen könnt. Dieses Emulationsprogramm muss auf der Festplatte gespeichert werden und deswegen bietet das Core-System derzeit keine Abwärtskompatibilität. Sobald die optionale Festplatte erhältlich ist, könnt ihr auch Xbox-Titel auf dem Core-System spielen.

Außerdem sollen die Spiele auf der Xbox 360 (ab 299,99€ bei kaufen) von der höheren Auflösung (hochgerechnet von 720p bis 1080i) und der Anti-Aliasing-Technologie profitieren. Speicherstände sowie bereits runtergeladener Xbox Live-Content können nicht zwischen den Konsolen-Generationen übertragen werden. Einem erneuten Download über den Xbox Live Marketplace (z.B. Premium-Content von Halo 2) steht jedoch nichts im Wege (Xbox Live Silver oder Gold). Eine frühe Version des Halo: Combat Evolved/Halo 2-Emulators ist bereits vorinstalliert.

Folgende Titel können derzeit problemlos auf der Xbox 360 gespielt werden:
-AirForce Delta Storm
-Alias
-Aliens versus Predator Extinction
-All-Star Baseball 2003
-Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding
-Army Men: Sarge's War
-Atari Anthology
-ATV: Quad Power Racing 2
-Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
-Barbarian
-Barbie Horse Adventures Wild Horse Rescue
-Batman Begins
-Battle Engine Aquila
-Battlestar Galactica
-Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space
-BMX XXX
-Brute Force
-Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds
-Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts
-Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures 06
-Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005 Season
-Cabela's Deer Hunt 2004 Season
-Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
-Call of Duty: Finest Hour
-Casino
-Catwoman
-Chicago Enforcer
-Circus Maximus
-Close Combat: First to Fight
-Codename: Kids Next Door
-Colin McRae Rally 4
-Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers
-Commandos 2: Men of Courage
-Conflict: Desert Storm
-Constantine
-Crash Twinsanity
-Crash Nitro Kart
-Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
-Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
-Curse: The Eye of Isis
-Dark Angel
-Darkwatch
-Dead or Alive 3
-Deathrow
-Digimon Rumble Arena
-Dinotopia
-Drake
-Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness
-ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002
-Euro 2004
-F1 2001
-Fable
-Fable: The Lost Chapters
-Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules
-FIFA Soccer 2003
-FIFA Soccer 2004
-FIFA STREET
-FIFA World Cup 2002
-Fight Night 2004
-Fight Night Round 2
-Ford Mustang
-Ford vs. Chevy
-Forza Motorsport
-Freedom Fighters
-Frogger Beyond
-Futurama
-Fuzion Frenzy
-Genma Onimusha
-Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde
-Grabbed by the Ghoulies
-Grand Theft Auto 3
-Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
-Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
-Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.
-Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder
-Half-Life 2
-Halo
-Halo 2
-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
-He-Man: Defender of Grayskull
-Hitman: Contracts
-House of the Dead 3
-IHRA Drag Racing Sportsman Edition
-IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
-Jade Empire
-James Bond 007: NightFire
-Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
-Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
-Kabuki Warriors
-Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
-kill.switch
-Legends of Wrestling
-Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
-LOONS—The Fight for Fame
-indizierter Titel
-Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
-Max Payne
-Max Payne 2
-Medal of Honor European Assault
-Medal of Honor Frontline
-Medal of Honor Rising Sun
-Mega Man Anniversary Collection
-Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
-MicroMachines
-Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing
-Monster Garage
-Mortal Kombat: Deception
-MTV Music Generator 3
-Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit
-MX World Tour: Featuring Jamie Little
-Namco Museum
-NBA LIVE 2003
-NBA LIVE 2004
-Need For Speed Underground 2
-NFL Blitz 2002
-NFL Blitz 2003
-NFL Blitz 2004
-NHL 2004
-NHL Hitz 2003
-Ninja Gaiden
-Ninja Gaiden Black
-Outlaw Golf 2
-Outlaw Volleyball
-Pariah
-Phantom Crash
-Pinball Hall of Fame
-Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
- indizierter Titel
-Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
-Pro Evolution Soccer 5
-Pro Race Driver
-Pump It Up: Exceed
-Pure Pinball
-Puyo Pop Fever
-Quantum Redshift
-Rayman Arena
-Raze's Hell
-Red Dead Revolver
-Red Faction II
-RedCard 2003
-Robotech: Battlecry
-Rocky Legends
-Rogue Ops
-Rugby 2005
-Samurai Jack
-Samurai Warriors
-Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights
-Scrapland
-SEGA GT 2002
-Shadow The Hedgehog
-Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures
-ShellShock: Nam '67
-Sid Meier's Pirates!
-Sneakers
-Sniper Elite
-Soccer Slam
-Sonic Heroes
-Sonic Mega Collection Plus
-Speed Kings
-Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
-Splat Magazine Renegade Paintball
-SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
-SpyHunter 2
-Spyro A Hero's Tail
-SSX 3
-Stake
-Star Trek: Shattered Universe
-Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
-Star Wars: The Clone Wars
-Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
-Star Wars: Starfighter Special Edition
-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
-Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
-Street Racing Syndicate
-Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel without a Pulse
-Super Bubble Pop
-Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
-SX Superstar
-Tecmo Classic Arcade
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
-Test Drive: Eve of Destruction
-Tetris Worlds
-The Great Escape
-The Hulk
-The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
-The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
-The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
-The Simpsons Hit and Run
-The Simpsons Road Rage
-The Terminator Dawn of Fate
-The Thing
-Thief: Deadly Shadows
-Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
-Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
-Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
-Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
-Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
-Tony Hawk's Underground 2
-Tork: Prehistoric Punk
-Toxic Grind
-Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
-Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue
-Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan
-Urban Freestyle Soccer
-Vexx
-Volvo: Drive for Life
-World Series Baseball 2K3
-Worms 4 Mayhem
-Worms Forts: Under Siege
-WWE Raw 2
-XIII
-Yourself!Fitness

(Microsoft erweitert diese Liste ständig)

Xbox.com: What about saved games as well as free and purchased downloadable content? Will that be transferable to Xbox 360?

Todd: Content will not be transferable from Xbox to Xbox 360, including saved data and downloadable content. However, all free downloadable content for original Xbox games plus premium content for Halo 2 will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace for free. Xbox 360 owners will be able to get this free with an Xbox Live Silver or Gold membership.

Xbox.com: So do people have to buy their downloadable content again?

Todd: On the current-generation Xbox, downloadable content can't be transferred from console to console. For example, if you have two original Xbox consoles and want to have a specific content download on each one, you need to download it twice, and that means paying for it twice if it's premium content. This also holds true from Xbox to Xbox 360.