Xbox 360 Marketplace, the console’s online store, will cease operations on July 29, 2024. After that day, 360 owners will no longer be able to purchase new games or entertainment content for their consoles, and the Microsoft Movies and TV app will stop working, too.
While many will undoubtedly be disappointed in the fact that the 360 Marketplace, a centerpiece of the now 18-year-old console, is fading away, owners will be able to play any previously purchased digital games or those on physical discs.
“This change will not affect your ability to play Xbox 360 games or DLC you have already purchased,” Microsoft confirmed in its August 17 announcement post. “Xbox 360 game content previously purchased will still be available to play, not only the Xbox 360 console but also Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S devices via backward compatibility.”
Neither multiplayer matches (for compatible online games) nor cloud saves will be impacted by the Marketplace closing, and users will continue to be able to buy backward-compatible games on newer Xbox consoles, including Xbox Series X/S, on which 360 games will receive “FPS Boost, Auto HDR, and faster loading times,” Microsoft says.
The 360’s movie and TV streaming capability will take a bigger hit than its Marketplace. While anything purchased on the 360 movie app will stay in your library, you’ll only be able to view this content on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S after July 29. As with games on physical discs, you should still be able to watch movies and shows via DVD on the Xbox 360, since that process doesn’t require any additional software.
This development clarifies a February Xbox support page declaration that “the Xbox 360 Marketplace [will be closed] over the next year, so we encourage you to purchase any 360 games or DLC by May 2023.” At the time, Microsoft said the notice was “posted in error,” but now we know that only its 2023 timeline was incorrect.