Four Halo Games Now Xbox One Backwards Compatible With Free DLC

Picking up a copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection is no longer the only way to a handful of Halo games on Xbox One. Microsoft has added four more games to the backwards compatibility library, all of them Xbox 360 entries in the Halo series.

As promised, Microsoft has made four games--Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4--playable on Xbox One. The full campaigns and multiplayer modes are included, and these are accompanied by all of their DLC packs, which are accessible for free. If you own any of these games, you can simply pop the disc in (or install it from the Ready to Download list, in the case of digital copies) and start playing.

These games are curious--but welcome--additions to the backwards compatibility list, given that Microsoft stands to make money from sales of The Master Chief Collection. That compilation includes improved versions of all of these games (Halo 3: ODST was offered as free DLC post-release), as well as a fully remastered version of Halo 2. MCC remains an attractive option for those looking to play the best-looking versions of these games (or to play Halo 2 on Xbox One), but being able to play the original versions for free is a nice gesture.

Last week saw six more Xbox 360 games made playable on the newer console, including Saints Row: The Third.