Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Microsoft has announced that it will close the Xbox 360 Store in July 2024, 19 years after the console’s release. Players that previously purchased games from the store in the past can continue to play those games for the foreseeable future.
The announcement was made via a post to Xbox Wire this morning. The Xbox 360 Store will officially close on July 29, 2024. After this date, you’ll no longer be able to purchase new games, DLC, or other media from the store on consoles or desktop. The Movies and TV app will also cease to work after this date, meaning you’ll no longer be able to watch movies and TV shows on your Xbox 360. That said, the movies and shows will carry over to other Xbox consoles and Microsoft platforms.
Microsoft didn’t provide an exact reason for the Xbox 360 Store shutdown, but provided some additional insight through FAQ responses. If you previously purchased a game on the Xbox Store but deleted it, you’ll still be able to re-download it after the Xbox 360 Store closes. Players can also continue to play games that they own on disc. Online games will continue to be playable via the Xbox Network (formerly Xbox Live) as long as publishers are still supporting servers for them.
Before the modern era, in which digital releases are the norm, the Xbox 360 was part of the first generation of home consoles to allow users to buy and download games digitally through an in-console store.
Older consoles having their digital stores closed is becoming common as console makers allocate more resources to their current platforms. Earlier this year, Nintendo officially pulled the plug on the eShop for the 3DS and WiiU.