News 10 Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In March 2024
It's a busy month for server closures
Historic games for a legendary console
News Two Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In April 2024
Including this tactical online FPS
News Xbox Exec Sends Fans Into A Frenzy With Random Social Media Post
But we don't think it means anything
News Another Seven Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (November 30)
Including a batch of EA departures
Xbox 360 News
March2024
News Two Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In April 2024
Including this tactical online FPS
We've already highlighted here at Pure Xbox how March is a busy month for server closures, with the likes of The Crew, Rocket Arena and Armored Core: Verdict Day all shutting down their Xbox servers over the coming weeks. But what about next month? Well, April 2024 isn't looking quite as painful from a server cl
Talking Point In Your Opinion, What Made The Xbox 360 Era So Incredible?
PX readers voted it the "best generation" of Xbox
Cast your mind back to around six months ago, and we conducted a poll here at Pure Xbox about the best generation of Xbox so far. From the 2,000 PX readers who submitted their votes, a whopping 68% of them picked the Xbox 360. The results didn't exactly come as a surprise - it's been common...
News Microsoft 'Feared' The End Of Console Gaming As Early As Xbox 360, Says Peter Moore
Talk about 'no more consoles' isn't new
It seems that every console generation there's always speculation about whether this will be the 'last one' before a move away from dedicated hardware, and according to former Xbox boss Peter Moore, that even went on internally at Microsoft during the Xbox 360 era. Talking to IGN this week, Moore said that...
News Xbox Fans Praise MEGA Console Set That Looks 'Identical' To The Original 360 Design
It's about to launch in the UK!
Microsoft has announced that the MEGA Xbox 360 console set unveiled last September is coming to the UK, and so, we decided to take a look at reviews of the US version to see what folks make of the 3:4 scale set - and the reception seems pretty positive so far. Over on the
February2024
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 27 - March 5)
Up to 80% off!
Our latest set of Xbox deals is now live - with over 500 titles discounted this week as part of a big 'Bundles' sale. The backwards compatibility list is significantly shorter than that this week - but there are still some great deals to be had! <related ids="162761"> So, here are all of the OG Xbox / Xbox 360 backwards...
News All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 20-27)
Up to 85% off!
Tuesday rolls around again, which means a fresh set of deals are live on the Xbox Store. It's a fairly slim update this week, but we still have some huge games discounted right now - including highlights from an EA Publisher Sale. <related ids="162413"> As usual, tucked in here is a solid selection of OG Xbox and Xbox 360...
News 10 Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In March 2024
It's a busy month for server closures
Now and again throughout the year, the servers for various Xbox games end up being shut down for different reasons - whether that's simply because they're old titles now, or perhaps they haven't performed as well as expected. We've seen a few Xbox servers being shut down already in 2024, but March is looking...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Tomb Raider Game On Xbox?
Has TR 1-3 Remastered taken your top spot?
Welcome to Pick One! This weekend, to celebrate the arrival of Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, we thought we'd take a look at the history of Tomb Raider games on Xbox - which stretches all the way back to 2006! Specifically, there have been seven Tomb Raider games on Xbox so far, and nine if you count Lara...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 13-20)
Including a bunch of classic CoD titles!
Earlier today, we highlighted the 250+ deals that have been added to the Xbox Store for this week, and we've got a few others carrying over from last week as well, such as all the titles included in the "2K Publisher" sale. As part of all these, there are around 30 backwards compatible titles from the...
January2024
News Spec Ops: The Line Devs Pay Tribute To Harrowing Shooter As It Disappears From Storefronts
"I will always be proud of the whole Spec Ops: The Line team"
This week, the surprise news that Spec Ops: The Line had started being delisted across digital storefronts filtered through the pipeline, with console versions following PC platforms. In the wake of all this going down, several developers have paid tribute to the Xbox 360 era 2K shooter -...
News Spec Ops: The Line Has Been Removed From Xbox's Storefront
Multiple partnership licenses for the Xbox 360 game have expired
If you never got around to grabbing a digital version of Spec Ops: The Line, your chance to add it to your library is now officially over. Game File's Stephen Totilo has been officially informed by a 2K representative that the 2012 title is "no longer available on online storefronts"...
Deals All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In Xbox's Lunar New Year Sale 2024
Featuring some hefty discounts!
Xbox's big Lunar New Year Sale has just gone live, which means hundreds of new deals are now available on the Microsoft Store. In and amongst these deals are some great discounts on Xbox backwards compatible titles - across the OG Xbox and Xbox 360 libraries. <related ids="161386"> So, here are all the new...
News Unreleased Call Of Duty Gameplay Leaks Online From Project 'NX1'
Footage from an Xbox 360 era COD has appeared
Call of Duty is a juggernaut franchise and has been for decades at this point, and it was the Xbox 360 era of the franchise that got the ball well and truly rolling. Annual releases became the norm that generation, but as it turns out, there were some projects — quite far along in development might we...
Deals All 40+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (January 3-10)
New year, more discounts
Even though the Xbox Countdown Sale has now officially come to a close, Microsoft has lots of new deals live on the Xbox Store this week! We have over 300 games on sale in total, including some very new releases, alongside a selection of old backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras. <related...
December2023
Random 'Brink' Fan Says They'll Keep Buying Copies Until Xbox Makes A Sequel
They've been doing this for years now!
Remember the 2011 first-person shooter Brink? This was actually a pretty successful release from Gears Tactics developer Splash Damage back in the Xbox 360 days, and there's one fan who seems to love it more than anyone else. Over the Christmas period, we've noticed a Redditor by the name of Brink_2_ embarking...
News FromSoftware Announces Server Closures For Two Xbox 360 Games
It's apparently due to "deterioration"
We've got a couple more Xbox server closures to report! FromSoftware has announced today that two of its Xbox 360 titles will be shutting their servers in March of 2024, although the games will continue to function offline as well. One if these is Dark Souls 2, which already has a newer version for Xbox One...
Talking Point What Was The Greatest Xbox 360 Game Of All Time?
Talk about tough decisions...
There's no doubt that many Xbox fans consider the Xbox 360 era to be the greatest in the history of the brand, and a large part of that is due to how many incredible games the console received in the late 2000s and early 2010s. But out of the thousands of titles released on the Xbox 360, which was the very best?...
Deals All 80+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2023
Lots of BC titles are on offer for a few weeks!
Xbox's huge Countdown Sale for 2023 is now live - featuring hundreds of discounts across all sorts of franchises, genres, bundles, etc! Tucked into the list is a selection of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras, and the vast majority of them are definitely worth...
News A Bunch Of Xbox Games Are Closing Their Servers In 2024
Living in an online world
Update: We've got a couple more to add to the list! FromSoftware has announced that two of its Xbox 360 titles will also be shutting their online servers in March of 2024. Here's more info about each of them: <related ids="160081"> Original story: As more and more games rely on online connectivity to fully...
November2023
News Xbox Exec Sends Fans Into A Frenzy With Random Social Media Post
But we don't think it means anything
Last night, Xbox's Sarah Bond managed to cause a bit of a frenzy amongst the Xbox community on social media, as she took to Twitter to post a single image of the Xbox 360 style logo - with nothing else alongside it whatsoever. Here's a look at what she posted, which has racked up around 250,000 views so far:...
Feature Xbox 360 Took The Gaming World By Storm 18 Years Ago Today
A massive Xbox anniversary
November always brings around some famous anniversaries in the Xbox world, and perhaps none are quite as famous as this one. 18 years ago today, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in North America, and there really hasn't been a more appropriate time to wheel out the old 'rest is history' trope, has there? This is...
Deals Five More Backwards Compatible Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (November 21-28)
Loads of Black Friday discounts are still available too!
Xbox's huge Black Friday digital sale is still live, featuring around 100 backwards compatible titles, but the team has just added another five classic games to the discount pile - and there are some good ones in here too. So, we've gathered up all of the newly-discounted backwards compatible...
News These 10+ Xbox Games Are Shutting Their Servers This December
Enjoy playing them online while you can!
Every now and again, we learn of a bunch of Xbox games shutting their servers, and it just so happens that over 10 of them will be doing just that in December 2023, giving us just a few weeks left to enjoy their online features. We've already reported on some of these in the past, like the multiple...
Deals All 100+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2023
One of the biggest Back Compat lists ever!
Black Friday is nearly upon us! To celebrate the year's biggest discount day, Xbox has unleashed a huge digital sale on the Microsoft Store, featuring over 1,000 games in total. Mixed in there is a good selection of backwards compatible classics from the OG Xbox and Xbox 360 eras, so we've rounded up all of...
News Another Seven Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (November 30)
Including a batch of EA departures
Microsoft has revealed another seven games leaving Xbox Game Pass in the latter part of November 2023, and it includes a few pretty big departures from EA and others. Since April, three classic Battlefield titles have been unavailable to purchase as EA removed them from digital storefronts. Ahead of their online...
Talking Point Xbox's Influential Gears Of War Sequel Is Now 15 Years Old
Happy belated birthday, Gears 2!
Ahh, the original Gears trilogy - one of our absolute favourite collections in the Xbox library. We had so much fun on these games back in the day, and this week, the second game in the series celebrated a rather substantial birthday. Gears of War 2 is now 15 years of age, and it was a pretty influential game for its...
Historic games for a legendary console
Looking for the best Xbox 360 games? Crazy as it may seem, the Xbox 360 is now seventeen years old and, flipping back through the history and back catalogue of Microsoft's amazing 7th gen console, there's an absolute feast of great games to choose from. From excellent Xbox indie titles to fresh new franchises,...
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (October 31 - November 7)
Here are this week's back compat discounts
Xbox's latest round of digital deals went live yesterday, with more than 300 titles discounted across various different promotions. As per usual, those deals include a set of backwards compatible classics on offer via Xbox's digital storefront. <related ids="157710"> So, we've gathered all of those...
October2023
News Ubisoft Ending Online Services For Three Xbox 360 Titles Early Next Year
Assassin's Creed & Splinter Cell listed
Ubisoft has today announced it will be decommissioning some "additional online services" for older games and three Xbox 360 titles are listed. These games include Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed Liberation HD and Splinter Cell: Conviction. The online services tied to these games will terminate on 25th...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (October 24-31)
Spooky deals, 'Fallout Day' sales & more!
We have quite a few backwards compatible classics on offer this week! Thanks to the ongoing Shocktober sale and this week's Fallout Day discounts, there are lots of old school games and DLC packs available on the cheap right now. <related ids="157377,157318"> As a result, we've rounded up all of the...
News 'Fallout Day Sale' Now Live On Xbox, Featuring Steep DLC Discounts
Crawl out through the fallout, baby
Slightly ahead of Xbox's typical digital deals roundup each and every Tuesday, a new Fallout-flavoured promotion has just gone live on the Xbox Store. These discounts mostly include Fallout games and their respective DLC packs - although Skyrim also manages to barge its way into the promo as well. Anyway, seeing...
Talking Point Did Your Xbox 360 Ever Get The 'Red Ring Of Death'?
Or were you one of the lucky ones?
Remember the Red Ring of Death? Of course you do! It was one of the biggest low-points in the history of Xbox's 22 years in existence, and the vast majority of early Xbox 360 owners ended up experiencing it at least once. The saga was documented extensively in the "Power On: The Story of Xbox" documentary a coupl
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (October 17-24)
Get up to 90% off!
Another fresh batch of Xbox deals & discounts are now live, with over 900 titles on offer this week - including the yearly 'Shocktober' sale as we approach Halloween. In and amongst these offers are a selection of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras; discounted on the digital Xbox Store...
News Remedy Says It 'Didn't Make Business Sense' To Remaster Alan Wake's American Nightmare
"We did discuss that when we did the remaster"
Alan Wake Remastered brought the cult classic Xbox 360 title to modern audiences back in 2021 - where it also made its PlayStation & Nintendo debuts after previously being an Xbox and PC exclusive. However, developer Remedy didn't bother remastering the game's standalone expansion Alan Wake's...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (October 10-17)
Time to pick up a new classic?
Xbox's latest set of digital deals is now live, and as usual, we have a selection of backwards compatible classics on offer this week. We'll drop our full deals roundup down below for all things Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and of course, you can check out every backwards compatible offer from the OG Xbox and Xbox 360...
Random MEGA's Replica Xbox 360 Has A Cool Halo Easter Egg Inside it
"You found me"
Remember the replica 3:4 scale Xbox 360 building set that was announced by MEGA last month? Well, it's almost here and the first reviews are starting to roll in. While the system seems to be a standard assembly, there are some intricate details and features on it like glowing Xbox logos and joysticks that actually move. One other...
News Microsoft Unveils New 'Heritage Collection' Of Xbox 360 Merch
"We went back to 2007 and brought you something"
The Xbox social media team ended up causing a stir yesterday with the announcement of new Xbox 360 merchandise! This round of new clothing items are all specifically based on the console itself along with Halo 3. All of these items have been included in the "Heritage Collection" on the Xbox Gear...
News Red Dead Redemption Gets 60FPS Patch On PS5, Xbox Version Remains 30FPS
Will we see an update?
So, this is an interesting one! Shortly after the launch of Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation platforms, Rockstar has sneakily added a 60FPS option for PS5 users. Yep, as of version 1.03, PS5 owners playing through PS4 backwards compatibility can enjoy Red Dead at 60FPS - marking the very first time that this game has been...
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (October 3-10)
Here's what's on offer this week
Xbox's latest set of digital deals is now live, and as usual, we have a selection of classics from the Xbox 360 era on offer that are included in the backwards compatibility program for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. <related ids="156316"> We'll drop all of the current Xbox backwards compatible...
September2023
Deals All Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (September 26 - October 3)
Battle through an apocalyptic landscape
The latest batch of Xbox weekly deals are now live, and as always we've got a few backwards compatible titles from the Xbox 360 era in the mix! There aren't too many this week, but there are still some fantastic games such as Call of Juarez Gunslinger, F.E.A.R 2 and The Witcher 2 that are worth picking up for...
News Smash Bros. Director Masahiro Sakurai Shows Off His 'Rare' Xbox 360
"It has my name engraved on it!"
Microsoft has been gifting rare limited edition Xbox consoles for a very long time now, and even to this day there are probably many out there that we don't actually know about. With this in mind, back during the Xbox 360 generation, Microsoft sent certain people within the games industry special launch systems...
Deals All 40+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (September 19-26)
Including some ongoing publisher sales
Xbox's new weekly deals have now gone live, and as usual, they include a batch of Xbox 360 (and a couple of original Xbox) backwards compatible classics on offer. Now, we have some carryover from the previous set this week, including an ongoing Call of Duty sale, but still - plenty of new titles have been added...
Deals All 70+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (September 12-19)
Including a massive Call of Duty sale!
There are loads of Xbox backwards compatible games from the OG Xbox and Xbox 360 eras on sale this week, folks! Not only do we have the biggest Call of Duty sale in franchise history that contains plenty of Xbox 360 titles, but there's lots to pick from elsewhere across various other publisher sales and...
News Call Of Duty's Biggest Ever Xbox Sale Is Now Live, 40+ Deals Included
Celebrating its 20th anniversary
Call of Duty fans, this is your moment! Xbox is hosting the biggest ever Call of Duty sale in its history this week to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary, with over 40 deals included across many classic CoD titles. Unsurprisingly, this includes a bunch of the popular Xbox 360 games as well as more modern...
News Create An Entire Replica Xbox 360 Console With This New MEGA Building Set
Building like it's '07
Fancy winding the clock back to 2007? MEGA has you covered with this new 3:4 scale Xbox 360 Building Set - complete with a boxed copy of Halo 3! Okay, that 'boxed copy' ain't exactly going to beam the full game to your screen, but it does actually work in tandem with the console as it does in real life! This new...
Deals All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (September 5-12)
Alongside a huge RPG promotion
Xbox is back with another substantial set of digital deals this week! We have a massive RPG sale ongoing at the moment (amongst other things), and of course a selection of backwards compatible titles are also on offer right now. <related ids="154918"> Down below, we've included all of the backwards compatible...
News 'Slender: The Arrival' Makes Surprise Comeback With Unreal Engine 5 Anniversary Update
New release date revealed!
Update (Fri 1st Sep, 2023): We've now got a date for this one! Slender: The Arrival's Xbox Series X|S upgrade arrives on October 18th, 2023, although it won't be free - instead, it's available to pre-order from today for £16.74 / $19.99. Pre-orders also include a free copy of the 2016 Xbox One first-person adventure...
August2023
News Before Xbox Games With Gold Disappears, Don't Forget To Download These Titles
It's your final chance!
Today marks the end of an era for Xbox Games With Gold, as the service will officially be ending on September 1st! Xbox Live Gold is then set to be replaced by a new tier of Xbox Game Pass called Game Pass Core on September 14th. Before then, you've got a few more hours left to claim a bunch of Xbox Games with Gold titles...
Soapbox Go Buy The Best Console Version Of Far Cry 3 While It's Cheap On Xbox
The 360 version is on sale again!
Update (Tue 29th Aug, 2023): We first ran this story a few months ago, and now Far Cry 3 for Xbox 360 is on sale again! Therefore, we're giving it a little bump so you can decide whether it's something you're interested in purchasing. Original story (Sun 21st May, 2023): Over the last few months I've somehow...
News This Week's Xbox Sales Include Some Rarely Seen Backwards Compatible Games
From the Xbox 360 era
This week's massive "End of Summer" Xbox sale brings with it over 50 backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras, and the most exciting bit is that we've got a few games that are rarely discounted if ever! Some examples of these include Braid, Flashback, From Dust, Monday Night Combat and many...
News Quake 2 Remastered Dev Wants To Work On Xbox 360 Classic 'The Darkness'
"It's on the list"
It's fair to say that developer Nightdive Studios knows a thing or two about bringing back a classic - the team just worked on Quake 2 Remastered with Bethesda alongside a host of other projects like the System Shock remake. Well, it appears that the team now has another old school FPS in its sights. The company's CEO Stephen...
News Phil Spencer 'Would Love To Find Solutions' For Xbox 360 Games Being Delisted In 2024
"The list of the 220 games is something that we see"
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has discussed the upcoming Xbox 360 store closure in an interview with Eurogamer this week, where he admitted he "would love to find solutions" for the titles that are being permanently delisted in 2024. In the interview, Spencer acknowledged that
News Phil Spencer Says He 'Learned A Lot' Working For Former Xbox Boss
"He has a lot of great insight, history and learning to share"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer was pretty active on social media over the weekend, where he took the opportunity to congratulate the Iron Lords Podcast for featuring former Xbox boss Peter Moore as part of their latest episode. In his response, Spencer praised Moore as being someone that he...
News 200+ Digital-Only Games Set To Be Impacted By Xbox 360 Store Closure
When they're gone, they're gone
Yesterday brought us the news that the Xbox 360 store will be closing in July of 2024, meaning a bunch of great games will be delisted forever on the platform. As long as you buy them prior to the closure date you'll still be able to redownload them in the future, but if you wait too long to purchase them, you'll be...
News A Bunch Of Great Xbox 360 Games Will Be Delisted Forever Next Year
From TDU to Phantasy Star!
Today's announcement that the Xbox 360 marketplace will be closing in July 2024 means that a whole bunch of content is set to be delisted forever next year, as quite a lot of it never transferred over to the modern Xbox Store. Of course, hundreds of original Xbox / Xbox 360 games are backwards compatible on Xbox One and...
News Backwards Compatible Games Will Remain Purchasable After Xbox 360 Store Closure
Here are all the details
So, after almost two decades, Microsoft has announced the closure of the Xbox 360 digital store. Yep, from July 29th 2024, the old Xbox 360 store will shut down on Xbox 360 consoles and the web, bringing its 19-year run to an end. However, this is by no means the end for buying digital Xbox & Xbox 360 games, as Microsoft...
News Microsoft Announces The Xbox 360 Store Will Close In July 2024
"We are focused on making Xbox Series X|S the best place to play"
Microsoft has announced today that the Xbox 360 store will officially be closing on July 29th, 2024. After this point, you'll be unable to purchase new games, DLC, and "other entertainment content" from the 360 marketplace. "On July 29, 2024, Xbox will stop supporting the ability to...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (August 15-22)
Time to grab a classic?
New digital deals are now live on the Xbox Store! Yep, we've got over 500 games discounted in total right now, including a nice healthy batch of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 ereas to dig into. <related ids="153986"> So, we'll round up all of the Xbox backwards compatible deals for...
News Xbox Backwards Compatibility Had A Major Effect On July's UK Charts
Two Xbox 360 games made the top ten!
Last month marked the Xbox Ultimate Game Sale for 2023, and we mentioned at the time how Call of Duty had essentially taken over the "Top Paid Games" list as a result, with many of the series' Xbox 360 titles selling very well. That's now translated to the official UK gaming charts for July 2023, which saw...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (August 8-15)
Up to 80% off!
As part of the latest set of Xbox deals, we have a fresh batch of classics on offer! Thanks to an extensive THQ Nordic sale, there's quite a substantial list of backwards compatible discounts this week, so a roundup is in order. <related ids="153701,153394"> In the table below, you can check out all the backwards compatible OG...
Video Red Dead Redemption Comparison Pits Nintendo Switch Against Xbox Series X
Rockstar's classic holds up pretty well
There's been lots of talk about how Xbox handles backwards compatibility since yesterday's Red Dead Redemption announcement, and now videos are starting to trickle out comparing the new Nintendo Switch version to the 2010 classic running on Xbox hardware. Up above you can see how
News EA Is Closing The Servers For Three More Xbox 360 Titles This Year
We have confirmed dates for more closures
Back in March, we learned of another selection of EA Xbox 360-era titles that were set to close their online doors in 2023, and now a few more games have been added to the virtual chopping block. Thanks to the company's 'Online Services Shutdown' list, we now know of three more titles set to shut down in...
News Rockstar Announces New $50 Port Of Red Dead Redemption, But Xbox Doesn't Need It
Thanks to backwards compatibility
The big news of today is that Rockstar Games is officially releasing a port of the 2010 classic Red Dead Redemption for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on August 17th, but it won't be coming to Xbox for a very good reason. Of course, the reason is that Red Dead Redemption is already backwards compatible on Xbox...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (August 1-8)
Some Xbox classics are on offer this week!
As part of this week's Xbox sales & promotions we have another selection of classics discounted! There are some great Original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles on offer this week, so we'll drop all of those games down below. Be sure to check out our other deals posts too - there's a substantial add-on sale...
July2023
Talking Point What Are Your Earliest Xbox Memories?
How far back do you go?
Believe it or not, this November marks Xbox's 22nd year in existence! The original console was first released all the way back on November 15th, 2001, and it's definitely been a storied history over the past couple of decades since then. Of course, the successful Xbox era was followed up by the even more successful Xbox 360...
Deals All 80+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (July 25-31)
Ultimate Game Sale & Deals With Gold discounts!
Xbox Deals with Gold is now live for the week commencing July 25th, which means we have another set of discounts now available on the Xbox Store for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S titles. <related ids="153102"> As usual, we also have a selection of backwards compatible games on...
News Microsoft Seems To Have Improved More Xbox 360 Matchmaking, This Time With Gears Of War
COD saw big improvements earlier this month
Recently, Microsoft made some backend changes to how Xbox 360 era Call of Duty matchmaking worked, and the successful tweak brought thousands of players back in their droves. However, the move doesn't appear to have been exclusive to the Call of Duty series, as players are beginning to see improvements...
News Xbox Exec 'Gets Chills' From The Moment Phil Spencer Revealed Backwards Compatibility
Do you remember this E3 mic drop?
Current Xbox boss Phil Spencer took over at the top of the Xbox tree way back in 2014, and one of his most memorable — and arguably important — moments came the following year during a Microsoft E3 showcase. Eight years later, he isn't the only Xbox exec to remember it. During E3 2015 Phil dropped the mic with...
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (July 18-25)
A few more Xbox 360 classics!
While the ongoing Ultimate Game Sale is the promotional focus for Xbox over the next few weeks, that isn't stopping the usual Deals with Gold and Spotlight sale selections from being added to the list. A new set of these deals has just gone live, adding another batch of backwards compatible classics to the discount...
News Xbox 360 Call Of Duty Titles See Huge Player Spikes Following Server Update
The classics are still poppin'
Last week, we caught wind that the folks over at Activision and their various Call of Duty studios had made some positive changes to how the old Xbox 360 games were running online, so naturally, we went back and had a look to see how things were going. As it turned out, online matchmaking did seem to have improved (we...
News All 80+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2023
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2023 is officially underway, featuring discounts for over 700 games including a whole bunch of major AAA releases. You can even get some fantastic games for up to 90% off! <related ids="152665,152692"> As you'd expect, the Ultimate Game Sale also includes lots of backwards...
Soapbox Test Drive Unlimited Was Special, And I'm Excited For Its Xbox Comeback
That solar crown is mine
After years and years of anticipation, we finally locked eyes on Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown gameplay yesterday during Nacon's TDU Connect presentation. While the game didn't quite shout 'next-gen racer' during its gameplay debut (we're hoping it'll be nice and polished up for 2024), it did look very Test Drive Unli
News Classic Call Of Duty Matchmaking Appears To Have Drastically Improved On Xbox
That's some coincidence
The Call of Duty series in particular has been a hot topic since Xbox moved to acquire Activision Blizzard, and for good reason - it's still hugely popular and would be a great get for Xbox. Well, that popularity extends as far back as the early Xbox 360 days, and funnily enough, those titles seem to have received an...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (July 11-18)
Grab a cheap Xbox classic
Xbox's latest set of weekly deals is now live, and even though it's a pretty small selection this week (we're expecting a huge Summer Sale to begin shortly), there's still a good chunk of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that are heavily discounted right now on the Xbox Store. So,...
News This Delisted Xbox 360 Classic Is Returning Via Game Pass Next Week
It's been gone for five years!
Double Fine recently teased that more of its games would be coming to Xbox Game Pass, and one of them arrives next week in the form of The Cave, which has actually been delisted on the Xbox Store for the past five years! This game was developed by Double Fine and published by SEGA
Random Phil Spencer Spotted Playing Xbox Live Arcade Classic
Philli heatwave
Alright, so, we know that Xbox boss Phil Spencer is regularly trying out the latest and greatest titles on Xbox - you can see as much by just having a quick glance at his Xbox Live gamertag. However, the Xbox chief has just been spotted going back in time a little bit, back to the Xbox 360 Arcade days. Reddit user DownGoesCat has...
PSA Crackdown 1 & 2 Are Still Free On Xbox As Sequel Turns 13
Officially a teen!
Once upon a time the Crackdown series was a notable staple within the Xbox first-party lineup. While the third game only came out four years ago (can you believe that?!), it's the first two Xbox 360 titles we have fond memories of - and one of them has just turned 13! Yep, Crackdown 2 launched on this very day in the US back in...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (July 4-11)
Up to 80% off!
Another batch of digital Xbox deals is now live, with more than 300 titles discounted over the next week or so. We've already rounded up some of the best offers from this week's promotion, which we'll drop below, but there's a selection of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras on sale this week too...
News Lost Xbox-Related Gameplay Footage From Yesteryear Appears Online
Including never-before-seen clips!
Games media outlet Noclip has begun digitising a bunch of old press conference gameplay footage from years gone by, with the results now appearing on the outlet's YouTube archive channel. There are some super cool videos in here, including a full HD Xbox E3 press conference from the 360 days, and even...
June2023
Random Thanks To Some Dedicated Xbox Fans, Halo 3 LAN Parties Still Exist In 2023
"It was such a good time."
Remember the good old days of Halo 3 LAN parties on Xbox 360? Well, these parties do still exist if you look hard enough, as evidenced by a new photo that's been getting a ton of attention on Reddit over the past few days. The host of this particular party explained that he owned three Xbox 360 consoles that weren't being...
Deals All Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (June 27 - July 4)
It's a small selection this week!
As usual, we've got a few classics from the Xbox 360 era that are included as part of this week's Xbox sales, and all of them are playable on modern consoles - so that means Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S! Below, you'll find the complete list (it's a small one this week!) of backwards compatible games in...
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (June 20-27)
Grab some Xbox 360 classics
We've got a big batch of great offers included as part of this week's Xbox sales, and as usual that means there are a couple of handfuls' worth of classic Xbox 360 titles that you can take advantage of. As indicated by the headline, all of these will work on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Below, you'll find...
News The Xbox Store Is Delisting A Classic Soul Calibur Game Next Week
It's taking its "final curtain call"
If you're a hardcore Soul Calibur fan, then you might be saddened to hear that Soul Calibur V is being delisted forever on the Xbox Store next week, along with all of its DLC. The termination date is June 19th, 2023. The news was announced on the official Soul Calibur Twitter account a few days ago: "Valiant...
News Xbox Is Thrashing The 360 Era In Terms Of Revenue, Says Phil Spencer
"Our business right now is about twice the size"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer is busy doing the rounds following today's Xbox Games Showcase 2023, and something he mentioned as part of a press briefing is that the brand is doing much better than it was during the Xbox 360 generation. As highlighted by GamesIndustry.biz, Spencer pointed out that a lot of...
News Xbox 360 Title 'Shadows Of The Damned' Is Getting A Remaster
Developed by the No More Heroes team
Long before No More Heroes 3 arrived on current generation Xbox platforms, Grasshopper Manufacture released the action-adventure title Shadows of the Damned on multiple consoles including the Xbox 360. Now, in a surprise announcement, the developer has revealed it will release a remaster of the same game. It's...
News All 40+ Backwards Compatible Games In Xbox's Deals Unlocked Sale (June 6-20)
A great selection of classics available
Xbox's yearly 'E3' sales promotion has gone live, branded the Deals Unlocked Sale 2023. E3 isn't happening this year, of course, but a bunch of digital sales certainly still are, and those include a decent list of backwards compatible classics. <related ids="150635,150702"> So, we'll drop each and...
Talking Point Is There An Xbox Classic You Wish Was Backwards Compatible?
Come tell us which!
Xbox wrapped up its backwards compatibility program a while ago now - during the big 20th anniversary event in November 2021. At the time, some great titles were added in one final wave — like the FEAR series among others — and we've felt pretty satisfied with the overall lineup since, especially when it comes to Xb
May2023
Random Xbox 360 Dashboard Gets 'Modern Twist' In New Concept Art
"What if we went back to basics?"
We love sharing some fan-created Xbox dashboard designs every now and again, and this one based on an old Xbox 360 dashboard definitely caught our eye early this week, put together by an artist known as Ayeris. As you can see, it's a modern take on the "New Xbox Experience" dashboard that first debuted in 2008,...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 30 - June 6)
Grab a discounted classic!
Microsoft's latest round of digital deals is now live on the Xbox Store, with this week's promos including more than 400 discounted titles, along with a bunch of DLC price cuts making up an ongoing 'Season Pass Sale'. <related ids="150280"> Tucked into these promotions are a few backwards compatible titles from the...
Poll Which Xbox Console Had The Best Controller?
Come tell us your favourite generation Xbox controller!
Earlier today, we posted our review of Hyperkin's new Xbox 360 controller replica, and after being so impressed with their efforts, we've started thinking about which Xbox generation had the best controller. For a number of years now, we've been convinced — maybe even conditioned — that...
Review Hyperkin Xenon Controller - An Amazing 360 Throwback For Xbox One, Series X|S
Just like the real thing
The Xbox 360 controller is well-known for being one of the very best controllers ever made. Microsoft's evolution of the original Xbox 'S' controller felt like a truly refined effort for the company's second home console, and third-party accessory maker Hyperkin has decided to bring it forward for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and...
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 23-30)
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
As part of this week's set of new Xbox deals, we've once again got another batch of classic titles from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that have been discounted for the next week, although some of them were already on sale anyway. For example, the big set of Call of Duty titles were part of last week's...
Random Remember When Don Mattrick Told Us All To Buy An Xbox 360 In 2013?
Cries in always-online
Late last month, it clicked in our minds that we were fast approaching the 10-year anniversary of Microsoft's grand reveal for the Xbox One. Well, we say grand, but the livestream probably didn't quite go to plan for Xbox, at least in terms of fan reception to the reveal event as a whole. <related ids="148476">...
Deals Xbox Is Hosting A Huge Backwards Compatibility Sale This Week (May 16-23)
A large selection of Xbox classics
Microsoft has delivered a huge batch of Xbox sales this week, with over 700 titles currently discounted across a bunch of different promotions on the Xbox Store. We're definitely interested in a lot of these! <related ids="149484"> Typically, these sales roundups also include a small-ish selection of...
Deals All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 9-16)
Grab some cheap classics!
This week's set of Xbox deals is now live, featuring some nice promotions like an Xbox Next-Gen sale and a first-party Xbox Game Studios sale alongside the usual Deals with Gold and Spotlight offerings. <related ids="149106"> As is the norm, the list includes some backwards compatible discounts (from the original...
Talking Point Are You Hoping Xbox's 'Gears Collection' Is Real?
Which game would you play first?
A 'Gears of War collection' of some sort has been a hot topic for a number of years at this point, with lots of rumours and reports pointing towards it becoming a reality some day. We've never heard anything official from Xbox on the matter, but a recent comment from Phil Spencer has reignit
News Xbox 360 New-Gen Controllers Now Up For Pre-Order At Hyperkin
A classic returns
Last year, third party accessor maker Hyperkin revealed that it was bringing back the Xbox 360 controller, by creating a set of officially licensed wired 360 pads for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Well, they're hitting store shelves this June, and four different variations are now up for pre-order on the Hyperkin website. Fans can...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 2-9)
May the force be with you
Xbox has just unleashed another huge list of digital deals for the week ahead, and as per usual, it includes a batch of backwards compatible games available at dirt cheap prices. A lot of this week's offers are for old school Star Wars titles, as Microsoft has just set a 'May the 4th Sale' live - including the pictured...
April2023
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (April 25 - May 2)
Rockstar and Ubisoft aplenty
Another set of Xbox Live deals means another round of backwards compatible offers! While this week's list of original Xbox & Xbox 360 discounts pales in comparison to the 1000+(!) deals currently available across Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, there are still some great offers to be had on classic Xbox titles...
Deals All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2023
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Spring Sale 2023 is now live, featuring hundreds of discounts on great games, and that means we've obviously also got some backwards compatible deals - over 50 titles have been reduced for the next couple of weeks! In the table below, you'll find every single backwards compatible deal (original Xbox and...
Xbox 360 Features
Forum Topics
Game recommendations for old farts.
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