Not everything lasts forever. Although many people still believe that digital content is eternal as long as it resides on servers, the reality is that companies end up shutting these down sooner rather than later, as it represents a cost-saving measure. We’ve already seen that Nintendo didn’t hesitate to shut down its entire store on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U… and Microsoft won’t be afraid to do the same for Xbox 360.
We’ve learned about this news today through the official Xbox website. In this announcement, Microsoft states that on July 29, 2024, which is roughly a year from now, the Xbox 360 digital store will permanently close. How does this affect us? It’s simple: starting from July 30th, the day after the closure, no user will be able to purchase a game or content from the Xbox digital marketplace. It’s that straightforward.
It’s important to note that we will still be able to download games and downloadable content that we own. Thus, all purchases made until that July 29th will remain associated with our profile, available for future downloads. As an interesting note, this won’t apply to digital movies, which will no longer be viewable on Xbox 360 (but can still be watched on Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S).
What about backward compatibility?
“At this juncture, a question that might arise is straightforward: what about backward compatibility? We know well that there are hundreds of Xbox 360 games playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. Well, you can rest assured.
Microsoft has stated that all these games will continue to be available for purchase from the marketplace. So, if you want to play Lost Odyssey, for instance, you’ll still be able to buy and download it. However, you’ll be doing so on the new consoles, not on Xbox 360.
If you had plans to acquire any older DLC or specific games, now is the time to do so.”
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