Microsoft has announced that it will close the Xbox 360 store on July 29, 2024, ending the online purchase of games and other content for the console. The decision comes nearly 20 years after the Xbox 360 was launched in 2005 and seven years after Microsoft stopped producing new console units.

As per Microsoft, the store closure will not affect the ability to play or re-download previously purchased games and DLC on the Xbox 360 or newer consoles through backward compatibility. However, TV and movie content purchased through the Microsoft Movies & TV app on the Xbox 360 will no longer be viewable on the console after the shutdown date. Users can still access their media content on supported devices and PCs.

Microsoft said that the Xbox 360 network will remain online for multiplayer support and cloud saves if the publishers want to operate their respective servers. Users will also still be able to purchase hundreds of backwards-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games and DLC on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Series S and Xbox.com.

The Xbox 360 store shutdown marks the end of an era for the famous console that even overtook PS3 in its era. The Xbox 360 sold more than 84 million units worldwide and supported some of the most notable titles of its generation, such as Halo 3, Gears of War, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. The console also introduced features like achievements, avatars, Kinect, and Xbox Live Arcade.

Microsoft thanked its loyal fans for their support and said that it is committed to supporting Xbox 360 gameplay for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the company also seems to be planning to launch an Xbox Series X Digital edition console that doesn’t employ a disc drive. This would make it similar to the PlayStation 5 Digital edition, which came out alongside the standard model back in 2020.