Update 29/7: Today’s the day, folks. The Xbox 360 digital store’s final hours are here, and so very soon it will no longer be possible to buy a hefty chunk of digital-only, backwards incompatible Xbox 360 games.
While we don’t have an exact time for the store’s shuttering, if we’re conservative and base it off the US’ commonly-used Pacific Time and the stroke of midnight as it crosses over into July 29th, we’d be less than eight hours from the end at time of writing.
In other words – buy anything you’d like to retain on your account to be able to download and play on any Xbox 360 console you might have (or find collecting dust in a garage in ten years). You’ll still be able to re-download anything you own later, just the ability to browse and buy things on the store will be lost to time. Games that are compatible and playable on Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S will remain available on the modern storefronts.
It’s a bitter occasion for many, with the Xbox 360 arguably playing a pioneering role in giving visibility to smaller, digital-only games bringing bedroom developers out into the spotlight, kickstarting an indie revolution with titles like Braid, Castle Crashers, LIMBO, Shadow Complex, Super Meat Boy and so many more.
Update 17/7: Xbox has revealed even more Xbox 360 titles on sale in the lead-up to the close of the Xbox 360 digital store later this month. With the end of the Xbox 360 digital store impending, Microsoft has been working with publishers and developers to slash the prices on a heap of the games that will otherwise be lost to time after July 29th.
These are typically games that are currently available to buy and play via an Xbox 360 console (or to buy via the web store) but are not on the backwards compatible list and therefore won’t be available on the newer Xbox consoles and stores after the shutdown.
There’s some pretty good stuff in here, and up to 95% off in some cases, so if you’re looking to grab anything to add to your account (you’ll still be able to re-download things after the shutdown) now is the time to do it.
Here’s what’s discounted right now:
