Face it, both Xbox and PlayStation want to go the all-digital route. With numerous systems released without a disc drive, users are more likely to buy all their games digitally. However, what about games you can't buy digitally and can only play via the disc?

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That is where the disc drive comes to save the day. On Xbox Series X, there are a handful of delisted Xbox One games you can play via the disc, as well as a truckload of backward-compatible original Xbox and 360 games. Tons of classic titles you can't buy on the store are still playable via physical media.

10 Mortal Kombat 9

One Of The Greatest Gaming Reboots

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Mortal Kombat (2011)

Fighting Released April 19, 2011 ESRB M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language Developer(s) NetherRealm Studios Publisher(s) Warner Bros. Interactive Engine Unreal Engine 3 Multiplayer Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer Franchise Mortal Kombat Platform(s) PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, PC How Long To Beat 8 Hours How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs) 100+ Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

After several lackluster entries in the Mortal Kombat franchise, including the fan-hated Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the series needed a shakeup. Mortal Kombat 9 delivered just that because it was probably the best fighting game of the generation up till that point. With amazing visuals and running at 60fps on Unreal Engine 3, MK 9 was a technical marvel.

The story mode was great, the character roster was incredible, and it offered a truckload of content at release. Tag team battle was available at launch, unlike future fighting games like Dead or Alive 6. The base game works on Series X, but you're best off purchasing the physical Komplete Edition, which includes all the DLC. Everything will be included in the installation once you pop in the disc.

9 Driver: San Francisco

The Easiest Official Way To Play This Ubisoft Classic

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Driver: San Francisco

Action Adventure Racing Released August 30, 2011 ESRB T For Teen Due To Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence Developer(s) Ubisoft Reflections Publisher(s) Ubisoft Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Driver Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC How Long To Beat 10 Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

The final mainline game in the Driver series, Driver: San Francisco, is a big cult hit in Ubisoft's catalog, akin to the first Crew. With a unique body-swapping mechanic similar to that awesome highway scene in The Matrix Reloaded, Driver: San Francisco proves to be an incredibly fun action-focused racer.

Unfortunately, in 2016, the game was not only delisted on Xbox but all storefronts, including the PC, which is where most played it. Thanks to physical media and backward compatibility, playing on Xbox Series X is the easiest way to play the game if you don't plan on sailing the seven seas for a PC download.

8 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time

The Best Prince Of Persia Game

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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Stealth Platformer Action Adventure Released October 28, 2003 ESRB Teen // Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) Ubisoft Montreal Publisher(s) Ubisoft Engine Jade Franchise Prince of Persia Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, PC, Mobile How Long To Beat 9 Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

2003 was a banger year for action-adventure games, especially by Ubisoft. Beyond Good & Evil is an all-time great, but Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is up there as well. An absolute classic sixth-gen title; it plays so well, and the pacing's so good, it's one of those games you can replay every year.

Even the Easter eggs are stellar. While the original Sands of Time is still available on PC storefronts, you can no longer buy it digitally on Xbox. Even with the remake, many people will want to check out the original, and you can only do so on Xbox via the disc.

7 Deadpool

A Fun Time

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Deadpool

Action Hack and Slash Released June 25, 2013 Developer(s) High Moon Studios Publisher(s) Activision Engine unity Franchise Marvel Platform(s) PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One How Long To Beat 8 Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

Activision has a bunch of delisted Marvel games in its library, but many of them have physical releases. One of the more notable titles is Deadpool. A hack-and-slash romp starring the infamous Merc with a Mouth, it's a fun playthrough even if, gameplay-wise, it's just alright.

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The reason why the game's worth at least one playthrough is the writing, as High Moon Studios nailed the fourth-wall-breaking persona Deadpool is known for. Sadly, the price for physical Xbox One copies is ridiculous, at over $70, so it may not be worth it.

6 Friday The 13th: The Game

One Of The Saddest Delisted Titles

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Friday The 13th: Ultimate Slasher

Action Released September 4, 2018 ESRB m Engine Unreal Engine 4 Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Developer Gun Media, Nighthawk Interactive, IllFonic, Black Tower Studios Publisher Gun Media How Long To Beat 136 hours Powered by Expand Collapse

Back in 2017, two games ruled the landscape of multiplayer horror: Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th. People had their favorites, but ultimately, Dead by Daylight won out, which is a shame because no other multiplayer horror title has been able to replicate the genius design on offer here.

Yes, the game's delisted, and the multiplayer servers are likely coming to a close in 2024, but many people forget there's a campaign. You can play ten missions inspired by scenarios from the films, and they're fun, playing similarly to Hitman. There's even exclusive kill scenes not found in multiplayer. This will inevitably be the only playable component of the title, and it'll act as a reminder of the greatness this game once had.

5 The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Only Spider-Man Title On Modern Xbox Systems

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Action-Adventure Fighting Shooter Released April 17, 2014 ESRB t Developer(s) Beenox Publisher(s) Activision Franchise Spider-Man Platform(s) PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U, PC, 3DS, Mobile Metascore 57 Powered by Expand Collapse

Insomniac's Spider-Man games are some of the biggest exclusives on PlayStation, but there is one Spider-Man title you can play on Xbox, at least if you have the disc. It's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a game better than the movie, although that's not saying much, considering the quality of that film.

Being the final Activision Spider-Man title, it features all the bells and whistles you'd expect at this point in the game series. It's a decent time, though, one of the weaker Activision Spider-Man titles. Almost all the games, minus Spider-Man 3, are fun to play, so similar to Tony Hawk, you're good no matter which game you try out.

4 Spec Ops: The Line

A Narrative Masterpiece

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Spec Ops: The Line

Third-Person Shooter Released June 26, 2012 ESRB M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language Developer(s) Yager Development Publisher(s) 2K Games Engine havok, unreal engine 3 Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Spec Ops Platform(s) PC, PS3, Xbox 360 How Long To Beat 6 Hours Release 2012-06-26 Metascore 77 Powered by Expand Collapse

Some games have stories that are so good that they redeem all the other flaws in the title. Spec Ops: The Line is one of them, as it's a rather mediocre third-person shooter, but the gameplay isn't what matters here. Everyone who plays this game remembers the story as it's a narrative masterpiece commenting on the popular shooters at the time and the real-life issues that would actually occur in these types of scenarios.

Even the title screen is an absolute masterpiece, changing as you play through it. In 2024, Spec Ops: The Line was delisted from all storefronts. Unless you go the way of the pirate, the best official way to play is via an Xbox Series X.

3 The Orange Box

A Great Way To Play And In Beautiful 4K

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Release Year

Platforms

Developer

Publisher

2007

PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Valve

Valve

Almost all of Valve's Xbox 360 catalog has been delisted, and while Left 4 Dead 2 is probably the best game out of the lot, the best 'game' to play on the Series X is The Orange Box. The Team Fortress 2 360 servers are still online, and it isn't a ghost town, as you can still get into a ten-person lobby quite easily.

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Keep in mind that this is vanilla Team Fortress 2, and this 4K enhanced version has to be the easiest and safest method of playing it today. The Half-Life 2 titles and Portal 1 are great as well, and it's awesome playing them at 4K resolution on something that's not a PC.

2 Batman: Arkham Origins

The Neglected Chapter Of The Arkham Saga

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Batman: Arkham Origins

Action Adventure Released October 25, 2013 ESRB T for Teen: Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) WB Games Montreal Publisher(s) Warner Bros. Interactive Engine Unreal Engine 3 Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op Franchise Batman Platform(s) Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 How Long To Beat 13 Hours How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs) 40 Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

Despite Arkham Origins getting shafted numerous times, with the Rocksteady titles being declared a trilogy, Origins is a must-play chapter of the Arkham Saga. Don't skip it because it kicks all sorts of asses. Yes, it reuses a lot of stuff from Arkham City, including much of the game map, but that doesn't stop it from being an awesome experience.

You have a great holiday-themed atmosphere with plenty of snow and the same incredible combat from Arkham City, but the boss fights really put Arkham Origins above and beyond. WB Games Montreal did not mess around here because Arkham Origins has some of the best boss fights in the entire series. That Deathstroke boss is Metal Gear Rising levels of stellar.

1 Peter Jackson's King Kong

A Classic Movie Game

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Peter Jackson's King Kong

Horror Action Released November 17, 2005 ESRB t Developer(s) Ubisoft Publisher(s) Ubisoft Engine Jade Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise King Kong Platform(s) PS2, Microsoft Windows, Linux, PSP, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, Nintendo Game Boy Advance Powered by Expand Collapse

Back in the early days of the Xbox 360, movie games were notorious for their poor quality, but one game that stood out was Peter Jackson's King Kong. Still, to this day, this game feels incredibly fresh, and the level of immersion is a large reason for that.

There's no HUD elements whatsoever, making survival on Skull Island a much more tense and immersive experience. The setpieces here still work really well, and it helps that the game's very faithful to the film. Playing as Kong is also a total blast, beating up creatures to death. There's sadly no reply value, but it's still a great one-playthrough title.

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