The Xbox 360 store will be shut down next year, almost two decades since it launched on November 22, 2005. As confirmed in an announcement by Microsoft, from July 29, 2024, the Xbox 360 store will be closed, meaning players will no longer be able to purchase Xbox 360 games through their consoles or the legacy website.
On the plus side, backwards compatible games can still be purchased for next-gen Xbox consoles. Microsoft has assured the Xbox community that they’ll be able to redownload and play any previously purchased titles. As for multiplayer, it’ll be down to the discretion of the respective game publisher behind the game to decide when their servers should shut down.
“This November will mark 18 years since Xbox 360 launched. It was a generation-defining console that invited many to jump into gaming for the first time and connect with friends around the world,” Microsoft’s statement reads before they highlight the upcoming changes.
“On July 29, 2024, Xbox will stop supporting the ability to purchase new games, DLC, and other entertainment content from the Xbox 360 Store on the console and the Xbox 360 Marketplace (marketplace.xbox.com),” the statement continues, adding that the “Microsoft Movies & TV app will no longer function on Xbox 360, which means TV and movie content will no longer be viewable on your Xbox 360 after July 29th 2024.”
“A lot has changed since the Xbox 360 launched in 2005. Technology has evolved, expectations from players have shifted, and we are focused on making Xbox Series X|S the best place to play now and in the future.”
Sad to see the Xbox 360 store go? What were your favourite memories as this era of Xbox draws to a close? Let us know in the comments below!
