The Xbox 360 Store is closing down subsequent 12 months

Microsoft has introduced that they are going to be shutting down the Xbox 360 retailer on twenty ninth July 2024, bringing an finish to shut to twenty years of digital recreation shopping for on their most profitable residence console.

Moreover, the Microsoft Films & TV app will now not work on the Xbox 360, chopping off TV and film content material in its entirety on the ageing consoles.

Nonetheless, this won’t have an effect on the power to proceed taking part in digital Xbox 360 video games or DLC which can be bought previous to that reduce off level, and backward appropriate video games on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S will nonetheless be out there to buy. That is purely affecting the Xbox 360 console’s means to purchase video games and DLC.

Within the announcement put up, Dave McCarthy, CVP Xbox Participant Companies says, “What has not changed is our commitment to preserving your ability to play the content you have already purchased on your preferred device, which means we are committed to supporting Xbox 360 gameplay for the foreseeable future – and you will still be able to play and re-download previously purchased content and connect with friends.”

Additional to that, a short FAQ confirms that cloud saves will nonetheless be energetic, and progress can carry over between console generations with backward compatibility, and that this doesn’t have an effect on on-line multiplayer servers, that are depending on the sport writer’s assist. Xbox Stay will nonetheless assist the 360.

Further information can be found on this Xbox Support page.

Microsoft’s resolution to close down the Xbox 360 retailer comes following related strikes by Sony and Nintendo. Nintendo has closed the Nintendo eShop for both Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U this year, whereas the Wii Buying Channel closed down in 2019. Sony had introduced in 2021 their intention to shut down the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the PlayStation Store, however U-turned after fan pushback online.

The key distinction for Xbox is that there’s the wholesome backward compatibility programme for Xbox One and Sequence X|S. Whereas it doesn’t embrace your complete Xbox 360 library, it does imply that lots of of the most important video games for the 360 will nonetheless be out there for buy on fashionable gaming programs. The identical can’t be stated Nintendo or PlayStation, the place retailer closures can and do just about fully take away entry to total generations of video video games.

That stated, there are nonetheless loads of evident holes within the Xbox backward compatibility line-up, with Microsoft ultimately discovering it tough or unimaginable to get the agreements wanted to carry video games ahead to newer {hardware}. Generally publishers had completely shut down and recreation rights vanished into the aether, different instances they won’t need their recreation to be included, and there’s loads of video games which can be faraway from sale after a sure interval as licenses for content material (normally music) expires.

Supply: Xbox