Microsoft to Close Xbox 360’s Online Marketplace in 2021
In an announcement on Thursday, Microsoft revealed its plans to discontinue the online store and marketplace for Xbox 360 next year. This decision comes as the company shifts its focus towards its newest consoles and the Game Pass subscription service.
The Xbox 360 Store and Xbox 360 Marketplace will shut down on July 29, 2024, and players using the old console will not be able to purchase and download new games, according to a post on the Xbox website.
However, Microsoft allows users to play Xbox 360 games they have already purchased and older titles compatible with the console.
“A lot has changed since the Xbox 360 launched in 2005. Technology has advanced, gamers’ expectations have changed, and we’re focused on making Xbox Series X|S the best place to play now and in the future,” Xbox said.
Microsoft stopped production of the Xbox 360 in 2016 and a year later launched Xbox Game Pass, a subscription game service that can be used on consoles and Windows platforms.
As part of the latest change, the Movies and TV app from the older console will also be removed.
The Xbox 360 is considered one of the best-selling game consoles of all time, right up against Sony’s PlayStation 3. Microsoft had sold around 84 million Xbox 360 units by 2014, when it stopped reporting sales due to the release of its successor, the Xbox One.
