Over the weekend, we at ICXM uncovered another batch of Xbox 360 games nearing backward compatibility on the Xbox One. The headline addition is Red Dead Redemption by Rockstar Games, but the larger question remains: when will these titles officially launch?
Currently, players who already own a digital copy of Red Dead Redemption can download it directly from the Xbox Store. For others, it’s available for $29.99 on the Xbox Marketplace for Xbox 360, though there are additional steps to access it through the Xbox One Store. We found that by searching “ASleepingMonkey” in the Xbox One friend finder, then viewing this profile and navigating to the “Following” tab, players could locate Red Dead Redemption listed among other followed games. By selecting “Launch game” or “See in store,” users can access the Xbox Store page and install the game if previously purchased.
In its current form, Red Dead Redemption is playable, though a frame rate comparison by YouTube channel VG Tech found slight dips to around 25-28 fps in certain town areas. However, overall performance is relatively stable.
Other Xbox 360 titles appear to be close to release as well, including Halo Wars, Alan Wake: American Nightmare, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, all spotted in user accounts recently. Notably, Left 4 Dead 2 was accidentally released, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 has also become playable, while Call of Duty: Black Ops DLC was discovered despite the game itself still awaiting full compatibility.
Microsoft recently altered its release strategy for backward-compatible games. As announced on the official Xbox Wire blog, games will no longer release in monthly batches but will instead roll out individually once they’re technically ready. “Based on your feedback, the Xbox Engineering team will start to pilot a new way to launch Xbox One Backward Compatibility titles. Starting today, we’ll release titles as they become available, rather than a set monthly launch date,” the blog post stated.
Nevertheless, Microsoft has been silent regarding many of these early-released titles, and some Xbox One users have found ways to access them, despite attempts to patch and hide certain games. Our sources at NeoGAF and Reddit confirmed that players continue to find these games accessible through workarounds.
Backward compatibility has been a major success for the Xbox One since its E3 2015 announcement, with over 21 million hours logged by users playing Xbox 360 titles on the newer console. However, some games encounter performance issues on Xbox One, as noted by Eurogamer. Halo: Reach suffers from significant lag, Mass Effect experiences frame rate dips during combat, and Gears of War: Judgment faces severe performance drops. Conversely, some titles, like Hydro Thunder and Condemned, benefit from improved performance, such as shorter load times in Mass Effect.
Mark Parker is the owner and lead author at ICXM.net, a news site for gaming, technology, and entertainment. With over 20 years of gaming experience, Mark has clocked over 10,000 hours playing titles like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza Horizon. He’s a PC and Xbox enthusiast, having built custom gaming rigs and Xbox consoles to fuel his passion for immersive gameplay. From analyzing hardware to reviewing AAA games, Mark combines technical know-how with a deep love for gaming. At ICXM.net, he shares industry insights, hands-on reviews, and breaking news for a loyal audience of gaming fans.