Xbox 360 Store to Close in July 2024 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 September 2023 / 4,670 Views
Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 Store will be shutting down in July 2024.
The ability to purchase new games, DLC, and other entertainment content from the Xbox 360 Store on the console and the Xbox 360 Marketplace will no longer be available to do on July 29, 2024. The Microsoft Movies & TV app will also no longer function on the Xbox 360.
The ability to play Xbox 360 games or DLC already purchased will not be affected by this change. Previously purchased Xbox 360 content will be available to play on the Xbox 360, as well as the Xbox 360 games that are available on the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One via backward compatibility.
Read a Q&A below:
Can I still play my Xbox 360 games after July 2024?
Yes, you will still be able to play the games you purchased on Xbox 360. If you purchased the game digitally or have a physical disc, you can still jump in and play. If you’ve deleted a game that you have purchased, but you want to play again, you’ll still be able to re-download it.
What about multiplayer games via the Xbox network? Can I still play with my friends?
Yes. Even after July 2024, you will still be able to play games and connect with friends through multiplayer on the games you purchased, as long as the publisher still supports the online servers. You can still save your games and progress to the cloud, and if you choose to continue any of those available games on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, those cloud saves will transfer over.
Can I still buy and play Xbox 360 backward-compatible titles?
There is no impact to purchasing or playing backward-compatible Xbox 360 titles. After July 29, 2024, you will still be able to purchase hundreds of great backward-compatible Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games and DLC on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox.com. We believe in celebrating gaming’s rich history and have worked hard to preserve as many games as possible through our backward-compatibility program. You can find the full list of backward-compatible titles here.
For those who wish to continue playing Xbox 360 games on Xbox Series X|S, we’ve taken the time to enhance those titles so they look and play better than ever before, while staying true to the original version. You can play those Xbox 360 titles with FPS Boost, Auto HDR, and faster loading times.
How can I continue to stream and download Microsoft Movies & TV content I purchased on Xbox 360?
The Microsoft Movies & TV app is available on Windows devices running Windows 10 or later, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Any content that you’ve purchased from the Xbox 360 Store will remain in your library and be available to view on such devices. In addition, all purchased Movies & TV content eligible for Movies Anywhere can always be streamed and downloaded on the Movies Anywhere app or site. For more information, see: Movies Anywhere on Microsoft Movies & TV.
Where can I get more information?
If you have more questions, please visit our support page at https://support.xbox.com/help/xbox-360/store/xbox-360-marketplace-update
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Been around for a long time and with the measures to keep people able to download the content and on the newer systems buy them and play with B/C I don't think the impact will be noticeable at all.
Yeah that's I'm figuring as well. I mean, XOne and Xbox Series owners literally were buying a ton of old CoD games from the 360 era digitally just a few weeks ago. But I also hope they'll ensure that all the digital only indie games will be B/C and still be purchasable on newer consoles, because there were a LOT of those on the 360.
Microsoft has made a lot of Xbox 360 indie games available via back-compat, but not all of them sadly. I wish they'd let them work via back-compat with a warning, for those that work OK but not perfectly. They did that on the Xbox 360 when running OG Xbox games. But these days they seem to expect near perfection before adding them to the back-compat list.
Yeah, my biggest worry was the older back-compat games wouldn't be available for sale. But they will be, so it's no problem at all. If you don't have a newer Xbox console, then you can pick up a Series S inexpensively, or a second-hand Xbox One even cheaper. So this is a much better way to do it than what Sony and Nintendo have been doing, where a store closure means the entire library is no longer available for sale. If back-compat Xbox 360 (and OG Xbox) games are still available for sale for newer Xboxes, then that's good news.
I think Series S is a harder sell in places where physical games sell for less than digital. Is that the case in Romania?
I went from One X to Series S and I was very impressed. The Series S is only marginally more powerful overall than the One X, but it is much smaller, generates less heat, and cost less. I'd say that's a pretty impressive combo.
If you expected it to be way more powerful, then I can understand you not being impressed. But it wasn't supposed to be more powerful, it was meant to be a similar amount of power in a cheaper and smaller package due to a more efficient architecture.
No, the SS sell pretty well, thats why its a flood of used SS's second hand market place. People thought its a next gen for cheap but beyond the initial shine it has a bunch of drawbacks and people discovered after, now they dont want it anymore.
A month ago I brought a second SS for 110$ with warranty and sold it profit. Yeah, people have started to sell it cheaper and cheaper.
My disappointing experience with SS wasn't exclusively tied to graphical department, it was because on most aspect it was the same as Xbox One. Yes, on some aspects is better - CPU and SSD, but on many others is the same of worst - level of graphic, lack of optical drive, low rez, unstable fps, the same interface, etc.
So coming from One X to SS it was like I didnt changed anything basically.
Now, add to the list of missing features of SS the game features, and if one step has been done, other will follow.
According from their initial video praises of SS, it is a 1440p and up to 120fps machine while keeping the same features as on XS; the reality of today shows an ugly truth - a lie.
I generally find faster frame-rates on Series S, and higher resolutions (at a lower frame-rate) on One X.
Like I said, I went from a One X straight to a Series S, so I am very well versed in the differences.
I won't argue (either way) whether they're easily found second-hand at cut-rate prices or not, though, as I don't track that at all.
I didn't understand that initial video to have promised anything other that "up to" 1440p and 120 fps, though. So it wasn't a lie, by that reckoning, anymore than PS5s and Series Xs not always being 4K 120 fps was a lie.
Yeah, it "isn't" a lie, just like the stores who announce up 50% price cut and even if they might have a/one small article with that price cut to technically cover the lie, the rest, like 90% of the products have price cut around 10%.
Have you seen Immortal of Aveum on SS? It runs at 768x436 natively, and yes - that resolution its also included at "up to 1440p".
You neglect to mention that it uses FSR 2 up-scaling so it looks far better than you'd expect a 436p game to look. You also neglect to mention that it runs at 720p on Series X and PS5, before up-scaling, and if you threw that out there without context that would sound terrible as well.
So your comment wasn't false, but it also wasn't the fully story.
I'm genuinely curious, was Sony putting "8K" on the PS5 box a lie in your opinion?
I did read that. I even agreed with it in my reply, which I think it objective confirmation that I read it.
I went further and pointed out that on PS5 and Series X it runs at 720p natively. That's sounds absolutely terrible! And yet, it looks pretty decent thanks to FSR2.
Similarly the 436p natively sounds terrible on Series S, but it looks better than a 436p game without FSR2 would generally look. So your point is correct, but it's also not the full story.
I have re-read my previous post and can find no inconsistency between what I posted and what you've said just now, so I'm confident I understood you. I would encourage you to re-read what I wrote, and be specific about what inconsistency you're perceiving.
Well, if you have read the context, meaning the advertised Series S as being a (up to)1440P machine and not even three years into its life and games have started to run at around PS2 resolution, ie "768x436 natively" it would be easy to see where the MS's lie. The irony is that even 768x436 fits into "up to 1440p", heck, even 320x240p is.
Also, PS5 and Xbox Series X run IoA at720p(at 60 fps):
https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2023-immortals-of-aveum-pushes-unreal-engine-5-hard-and-image-quality-suffers
Yes - games with FSR looks better than without, and? Does this change the fact that Series S (and even XS and PS5) started to struggle with the modern games? No.
The point was not about FSR(you brought it as an attempt of saving face), but about how weak this generation of consoles really are. The only saving "grace" is the "mask" called FSR.
You're comparing 436p on the PS2 without advanced upscaling vs. 436p on the Series S with advanced upscaling. Can you see that that's not a fair comparison?
Why did you provide a link to the PS5 and Series X running IoA natively at 720p, when I have repeatedly asserted that it runs at 720p? We clearly agree on that, so you asserting it and providing a link as if we disagreed does not make sense (and suggests that, despite you encouraging me to re-read the thread, strongly suggests that you're the one not reading the thread carefully enough, to be honest).
You insult the Series S for using native 436p like a PS2 game, but my point is you could just as easily insult the PS5 for using 720p like an Xbox 360 game. And yet you only make that argument against the Series S, you don't also make it against the PS5. That is unfair, and THAT is the main point I've been making all along.
The current consoles need FSR because they are weak. Its so clear and so obvious but somehow this escapes you. And yes - Series S run IoA at PS2 resolution.
As for myself, I mentioned all these new gen consoles for how weak they are, not just Series S. It it really necessary to say this, or does my mentioning about "intelligence" was spot on?
Insult a console. Wow , that's a new low for "intelligence" for obvious reasons.
"Insult", "unfair", etc. Dude, stop trying to force fake emotional damage on some plastic cases and chips inside, its pathetic.
But if I did "insulted" and being "unfair" to those consoles its because I reflected facts, with those facts you need deal with. That is the reality.
You have again re-asserted a bunch of things that I readily acknowledged, as if I either didn't understand or didn't agree. So I am not the one who is failing to understand this thread.
You are using charged language, and insulting opinions (which apply to people) not plastic boxes. Additional evidence that you're not understanding the exchange.
this system was a blast! not quite PS2 fun but a great system.
They could've prolonged it a bit more to late 2025, to become 20 years of active xbox store on the 360.
End of an Era. RIP. Love the 360
Ok this is sad but it isn't as catastrophic as it sounds once you read the details .
Right. It does suck, but at least there are hundreds of 360 games still available for purchase on later Xbox consoles.
Both sad to see this happen and surprised it took so long.
By the time it closes the 360 will be 19 years old.
So long Xbox 360 kid meme
What's going to be hilarious is if Vita and PS3 stores stay open longer than this (they have no confirmed closing date but are on life support).
The good news in all of this is that Xbox 360 games on the stores of Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S will still be available. Because that would be inexcusable to get rid of already.
Why would it be hilarious?
It's sarcasm. Unexpected might be the word since PS3 and Vita storefronts were supposed to close in 2021.
It doesn't affect Xbox nearly as much as it would with Vita and PS3 titles. Majority of 360 titles are BC and can still be purchased on later consoles.
The sad thing is that I could see Sony cutting PS3 store support and most PS3 streaming on PS Plus around the same time. By then, people playing new to them PS3 games will have to almost exclusively play discs.
Yeah, Microsoft is hurting fans less by closing the Xbox 360 store, than Sony would be by closing the PS3 store. The most popular digital Xbox 360 will remain available for sale for any Xbox system that's 10 years old (or newer). Whereas when Sony closes the PS3 store, zero of them will be available for sale to run locally on a PS4 or PS5.
It does not matter if it is 10 years, 20 years or 50 years. It is a disgrace to close a store like this, making some games unavailable.
They're not going to be unavailable to existing purchasers, only to new purchasers, and only if they're not backwards-compatible on modern Xboxes (otherwise they'll also still be available to new purchasers too). So I think "disgrace" vastly overstates it.
