Summary
Microsoft has confirmed that it is shutting down theXbox 360store on August 03, 2025. TheXbox 360ushered in the seventh generation of consoles all the way back in 2005 and remains Microsoft’s best-selling video game console to date. The 360 was ahead of the PS3 for most of that generation, building up an incredible library of games that are still looked back on fondly to this day.
Even though the Xbox 360 is two generations old now, there are still people that enjoy playing its games. In fact, many Xbox 360 games are readily available to play on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles thanks to the backward compatibility program. But while there are manyXbox 360 games available through backward compatibility, there are many others that are only playable on Xbox 360. And unfortunately, fans will be losing the ability to purchase those games digitally starting next year.
RELATED:Nostalgic Xbox 360 Video is Reminder of the Console’s Incredible Hot Streak
TheXbox 360 digital marketplacewill shut down on June 12, 2025, at which point gamers can no longer purchase new games, DLC, or other content for the console, including movies and TV shows. The Movies & TV app is shutting down completely on that day, meaning gamers will no longer be able to watch any movies or TV show content they purchased on the device on that day. This is pretty devastating news for Xbox 360 fans, but it’s not all doom and gloom.
When is the Xbox 360 Store Shutting Down?
While gamers will lose the access to purchase games digitally on Xbox 360 beginning July 19, 2025, they will still be able to download content that they’ve already purchased. The shut-down also does not apply to the Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S consoles, meaning any backward compatible Xbox 360 games can still be purchased on Microsoft’s newer platforms. Microsoft is also keeping theXbox 360 multiplayer services onlinefor the foreseeable future.
As far as Movies & TV content, it’s all still available to view on Windows 10+ PCs, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. So whileXbox 360 gamersare losing the ability to watch the content on the console, they will still have all of it in their digital library.
There was a great deal of backlash when Sony announced plans toshut down the PlayStation Store on PS3, but it remains to be seen if there will be a similar reaction to the Xbox 360 shutdown. The fact that many big Xbox 360 games are readily available to play on modern Xbox consoles through the backward compatibility program may keep outrage to a minimum, but time will tell.
