Xbox 360 News
News Red Dead Redemption's Free Upgrade Is Finally Rolling Out For Xbox Series X|S
Better late than never
The new upgrade for Red Dead Redemption is out today on all platforms, and while the game is now live and playable on Xbox Series X|S, the upgrade path from the old Xbox 360 version isn't working for lots of players - and there's some confusion as to why at the moment. When the team at Rockstar announced this ne
News Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition On Switch 2 Is 'Cut Back' Even From The Xbox 360 Version
Digital Foundry takes a look
Last week, Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics rather randomly released the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot on Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, and the results of this port are pretty interesting compared to the existing Xbox and PlayStation versions. One area that the new version excels in, at least on Switch 2, is frame rate. The game is...
News Forza Horizon 2 Super Early Xbox Development Build Leaks Online
Horizon 2 demake when?!
At this point, we feel like we've seen pretty much everything there is to see about the Forza Horizon series, going back all the way to the first game on Xbox 360. This morning, however, we've come across a very cool leak that shows a super-early development build of Forza Horizon 2 - one from before its eventual release back...
Talking Point Did You Expect More From Xbox 360's 20th Anniversary?
Red ring of meh
Well, that's it, Xbox 360's 20th birthday has come and gone. As you probably saw, over here at Pure Xbox we didn't forget about the anniversary - with multiple features and
News Digital Foundry Shares Awesome Unboxing Video Of An Untouched Launch Xbox 360
Jump in (to 2005)
We just had a pretty chill weekend amidst Xbox 360 celebrating 20 years of age over the last few days, and while I was personally relaxing with YouTube on Sunday evening, I came across this awesome Digital Foundry video unboxing a brand-new launch Xbox 360 from 2005. As you can see in the above video, hosts John and Rich get all...
News Top 20 Best-Selling Xbox 360 Games Revealed In New US-Based Analysis
That's a lot of COD!
To celebrate the Xbox 360's 20th birthday over the weekend, Mat Piscatella of the analysis group Circana has been sharing a look at the top 20 best-selling Xbox 360 games in the US up to October 2025. Circana's data is based on both physical and digital sales of these games, although it's important to note that the digital data...
Poll Which Is Your Favourite Xbox 360 Launch Title?
The lineup is 20 years old today!
The Xbox 360 is 20 years old today, and we have some fantastic memories of Microsoft's sophomore system from way back in 2005. The console was incredible (RROD aside), the controller was an amazing evolution of the OG Xbox effort - and all-in-all, we we very happy with the experience back in the way. However, we...
News It's Official! The Xbox 360 Is 20 Years Old Today
We're celebrating the big day with a fond look back
20 years, eh, where does the time go?! Yep, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console launched on November 22nd, 2005 - which means the system has now hit the ripe old age of 20. To celebrate, we've been looking back at what made this gaming machine one of the very best - from the system itself to its launch...
Talking Point Do You Have Any Plans For Xbox 360's Big Birthday Weekend?
Dusting off the old machine? Playing some back compat classics?
This weekend, Xbox 360 will be 20 years old, and we've started the celebrations early here at Pure Xbox. I've been drifting about a lot in Project Gotham Racing 3,
Hands On Perfect Dark Zero Is A Bizarre Time Capsule Of The Early Xbox 360 Days
The name's Dark, Joanna Dark
As we celebrate the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary this week, I've been going back to one of its launch titles in the form of Perfect Dark Zero to see how it holds up and whether its mixed reaction over the years has been justified. My personal history with Perfect Dark is a little muddled - the first memory I have of the...
News NACON Is Kicking Off The Xbox Birthday Celebrations With This 360-Inspired Controller
It seemingly comes with a mini blades dashboard(!!)
This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of Xbox 360, and accessory maker NACON is getting in early with its announcement of a new limited-edition controller for Xbox and PC. Well, we say early, but this special edition 'Revolution X Unlimited' pad doesn't actually launch until next February...
News Beloved YouTuber Shares How Xbox 360 Helped Them 'Process Grief And Find Peace Again'
The power of gaming in full effect
When it comes to the big, wide world of YouTube, there are a few names that we're particularly fond of in the gaming space, and one of those is My Retro Life - an awesome channel featuring tons of old-school home video footage. It's run by a guy named Tyler, and his dad captured a lot of the footage back in the...
News Xbox 360 Was Influenced By Fear Of Sony Dominating The Living Room, Says Former Boss
"What can we create that looks good next to the television?"
Amidst all the ongoing celebrations for the Xbox 360 turning two decades old later this week, Eurogamer has been speaking to former Xbox boss Peter Moore about his history at Microsoft and his experiences with the Xbox 360. Perhaps the most interesting bit in "Part 1" of the interview...
Feature Seven Things We Miss About The Xbox 360 Era In 2025
As we rapidly approach its 20th anniversary
It's almost time for the 20th anniversary of the Xbox 360! We'll be celebrating that milestone this Saturday (November 22nd), and in the meantime we thought we'd look back two decades to see what we miss about the 360 era in 2025. While Xbox has grown and evolved in so many great ways since 2005, there...
Opinion This Xbox 360 Launch Game Is Still One Of The Best Console Racers Ever
It never gets old!
Hey, it's me, Ben here - and I'm going to talk about PGR again, okay?! It's been at least a year since I've climbed out from under my rock to talk about one of my favourite racing series ever, and with the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary coming up, I just can't help myself once again! This time, I'm going to focus on Project Gotham...
News Xbox Legend Major Nelson Reveals His Custom Xbox 360 That He's Never Turned On
"One of the most magical professional moments of my career"
It's been a couple of years now since Major Nelson (real name Larry Hryb) left Xbox after spending two decades with the brand, but he's still active on social media - and his latest post is all about the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary. With the exact date of that anniversary coming up on...
News Delisted Xbox 360 Games Are Apparently Reappearing As 'Coming Soon' In Certain Regions
Left 4 Dead, Batman and more appear
Xbox backwards compatibility is pretty amazing, especially the Xbox 360 library which is quite extensive considering it was retroactively introduced to modern Xbox consoles in 2015. However, not all 360 games — or even all of the titles that were added to the program back in 2015 — are available digitally...
News Microsoft Adds Xbox 360 Title To Game Pass Today (September 30)
Featuring Lara Croft
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! We have a bit of a strange one today, in that Microsoft and Square Enix are bringing 2010's Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light to the library, more than 15 years after its initial release. Due to the age of this Tomb Raider spin-off, the console version of the game is actually an...
News Four Xbox 360 Racing Games Potentially Closing Their Servers In November 2025
Update: EA has moved the date
We always like to bring you news of server closures when we hear of them, and it looks like EA has just planned another four shutdowns for March 2026 - all of them racing games from the Xbox 360 era. This was pointed out by AnimeWanderer99 on Reddit, who advised that if you go to the "Online Services
News Xbox Super-Fan Shares Massive Console & Accessory Collection On Eve Of 360 Anniversary
"A love letter to one of gaming’s most influential platforms"
PC storefront GOG is known for its mantra on game preservation, with its DRM-free store often being a fan-favourite amongst PC players. While console isn't usually its focus, the company has today shared a video showcasing one of the biggest Xbox collections we've ever seen, just as the...
News Leaked Footage From Bethesda's 'Prey 2' Appears Online A Decade After Its Cancellation
What could have been!
Well, this is an interesting bit of news to cover this morning! Via Insider Gaming, we've spotted a bunch of footage from Bethesda's cancelled 'Prey 2' project - a follow-up to Xbox 360's Prey that was in the works in the early 2010's. This footage has been leak
Talking Point It's Been A Year Since Microsoft Closed The Xbox 360 Store
Goodnight sweet prince
Can you believe that it's been more than a year since Microsoft shut down the old Xbox 360 store? Well, you better believe it! Yep, Team Green closed the curtains on the Xbox 360 storefront on July 29th, 2024; just over a year ago now as we look back here in 2025. We must admit, we do miss the 360 days quite a lot. OK, the...
News Former Exec Says He's 'Not Sure Xbox Would Be Around' If Microsoft Didn't Fix 360 RROD Issue
"This was, for us, a defining moment"
Former Microsoft exec Peter Moore has been getting all nostalgic again recently in his new chat with outlet The Game Business; touching on the Xbox 360 era when Moore helped lead the team. While we've heard some of this chatter before, he did make
Talking Point What's Your Favourite Backwards Compatible Xbox Game?
We want some recommendations!
We've obviously talked a lot about backwards compatibility here at Pure Xbox over the years, but we're often asking you which games you'd want to be backwards compatible - rather than the games that already are. And of course, there's already an amazing library of back compat titles for Xbox that are 100% worth playing...
Feature Two Decades Later, Burnout 3 Is Still Incredible To Play On Xbox
An absolute classic that still holds up
Just over a week ago, I talked about how Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is surprisingly decent. It allows you to play a big bunch of original Xbox games on the system, including one of the best racing games ever in Burnout 3: Takedown. I'll be honest though, I hadn't touched Burnout 3 in years prior to...
News Xbox 360 Dashboard Gets Significant Update For First Time In Ages
A pleasant surprise!
Well, well, well! When the Xbox 360 marketplace was closed down back in July of 2024, we highlighted how bare the dashboard looked without any advertising whatsoever - it was literally just six titles amidst a very dull-looking UI. It seems Microsoft didn't want to leave it that way though, as multiple Xbox 360 owners have...
Reminder The Xbox 360 Is Surprisingly Decent For Backwards Compatibility
You might want to dig yours out
It's been a bit of a chaotic week when it comes to Xbox backwards compatibility, with Microsoft and AMD confirming that it's set to be a major part of the next generation of Xbox hardware, and then a report coming out suggesting a back compat overhaul will be taking place in 2026 - which has
News All 60+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Deals Unlocked Sale 2025
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Deals Unlocked Sale 2025 has officially begun today, and it's actually way bigger than we were expecting, featuring discounts for over 1000 games in all! As you'd expect, there are lots of backwards compatible games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras in the mix as well. So, in the table below,...
News No, The ROG Xbox Ally Handheld Doesn't Play Native Console Games
But that's why Xbox Play Anywhere is so good
We're seeing a little bit of confusion doing the rounds on social media about whether the newly-announced ROG Xbox Ally handheld will play native console games or not, and the answer is that it doesn't (at least not as things stand!). This is a Windows PC handheld that's designed to play native PC games,...
Talking Point Will We See Another 'Anniversary Event' For Xbox 360 Turning 20 This Year?
We certainly hope so!
Four years ago, Xbox hosted a massive 'Anniversary Celebration Event' for the Original Xbox, and we really really enjoyed what this event brought to the table. We had some fantastic announcements from Team Green, we got that incredibly insightful
Talking Point It's Been 20 Years Since Xbox 360 Was Revealed Live On MTV
"A console that's about to change digital entertainment forever"
2025 marks the 20-year anniversary of Xbox 360, with the seminal Xbox console launching way back in November 2005; kicking off the seventh generation of consoles. To this day, the system is still revered and played by many - and we've been reminded today that it's 20 years on the dot...
Random Here's What The New Hallmark Xbox 360 Ornament Sounds Like
Nostalgia activated
Back in mid-April, Hallmark lifted the lid on two Xbox-based Christmas ornaments for 2025 - including a miniature Xbox 360 that was advertised to light up and play Halo 3 game sounds. Well, now we can hear exactly what they mean! As you can see in the video below, the big Xbox button on the Xbox 360 does actually light up, and...
News Twitch Streamer Rebuilds Xbox 360 'Blades' Dashboard From Scratch
With chat integration!
We all know how much fondness there is for the "Blades" era of the Xbox 360 - the iconic dashboard that was present for the early days of the console, and that unfortunately is no longer accessible unless you never updated your system. Team Xbox has repeatedly stated how the "Blades" dashboard isn't likely to return for...
News Xbox Fan Shares Immaculate '360 Launch Team' Memorabilia From 2005
"Would anyone know how much this is worth?"
20 years ago, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console was about to cause shockwaves throughout the industry, and really put Xbox on the map as a main player in the console gaming space. That's a long time ago now, but every now and then it's nice to look back and revel in a bit of nostalgia for the era - and a new...
News All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2025
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Spring Sale for 2025 has been revealed in full, and as usual for these massive sales, we've got loads of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that have been discounted as part of it. So, in the table below, we've picked out every single backwards compatible deal (from...
News Retro Fighters Returns With A Brand-New Wireless Xbox 360 Controller In 2025
Fancy upgrading your 360 setup?
Following on from its original Xbox controller release last year, accessory maker Retro Fighters is revisiting the world of Xbox in 2025 with the 'Hunter 360' - a brand-new wireless controller for Microsoft's 2005 console. Yep, the Retro Fighters Hunter 360 is a new wireless controller that works with Xbox 360 and...
News Hallmark Unveils First Look At Xbox Christmas Ornaments For 2025
Including a light-up Xbox 360!
Last year, we saw Hallmark releasing some really cool Xbox Christmas ornaments including one based around a musical OG Xbox console, and now the company is gearing up to release two more Xbox ornaments in 2025. As revealed in the Hallmark 2025 Dream Book, an Xbox 360 ornament that lights up and plays Halo 3 game
News Nightdive Wants To Know Which Xbox 360 Games Need A Remaster
"What would you like to see us remaster?"
Last week, we mentioned how the team at Nightdive Studios was interested in bringing Xbox 360 games back from the dead, and now they're publicly asking which Xbox 360 (and PS3) games you'd like to see get the remaster treatment. This is via a follow-up post on Twitter, where Nightdive has been inundated...
News Nightdive Studios Wants To Bring Xbox 360 Games Back From The Dead
"Really good games that shouldn’t be lost"
The Xbox 360 is an amazing console that boasted an unbelievable library of games, and while some of the best are still playable on modern Xbox consoles through backwards compatibility, there are plenty that sadly never made the jump. And of course, things got worse last year when the Xbox 360 marketplace...
News Two Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In March & April 2025
With a few more confirmed for later in the year
With the vast amount of online games out there in this day and age, it's inevitable that some of them are starting to go offline as they become obsolete - and we have a few more Xbox server shutdowns confirmed for the next few months. First of all, two titles will go offline in March and April -...
Random 20 Years Later, The Xbox 360 Is Still Finding New Fans In 2025
Its legacy lives on
This year marks two decades since the Xbox 360 first launched back in November of 2005, and while we'll obviously be celebrating that anniversary a lot more throughout the year, we wanted to start things off a little early as well. A few months ago, we highlighted how the Xbox 360 was still an "amazing console in 2024", and...
News Hundreds Of Delisted Xbox 360 Games Now Have The Potential To Return On PC
Via an unofficial new "recompilation" tool
If you were browsing Pure Xbox yesterday, you may have spotted a story from our friends at Time Extension about a new Xbox 360 recompilation tool that offers up some crazy possibilities for reviving old Xbox games. Basically, this tool (known as XenonRecomp) is said to "convert Xbox 360 executables into...
News Former Xbox Exec Compares 360 Era To Microsoft's Current Multiplatform Strategy
"The industry has evolved"
Former Microsoft exec Peter Moore was one of the company's most public-facing figures during the Xbox 360 era, having moved over from gaming competitor SEGA in the early 2000s. These days, the industry is in a much different place to what it was when Moore was at Xbox - and the former exec has been talking about that...
Feature Three Classic 'Monolith' Games That Are Backwards Compatible On Xbox
And still worth playing in 2025!
This week, Warner Bros. closed down esteemed game studio Monolith Productions as it aims to slim down on development costs, and while this sort of news has become all too common in recent years, this particular shutdown really hurts. Monolith had been around for more than three decades, and the team produced some...
Feature 20 Of The Best Backwards Compatible Games You Can Play On Xbox
An essential list for Xbox backwards compatibility
Microsoft's backwards compatibility program is one of the best features available for modern Xbox consoles, with an array of original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles easily playable on modern Xbox hardware. That program includes hundreds of Xbox 360 titles — including some real classics spread across...
Random Xbox Fan Shares Clip Of Microsoft's Console Factory Line From 2006
We miss you, Xbox 360
Look, we're not out here to ruin anyone's day or anything, but the Xbox 360 is officially 20 years old this year. You read that right, November 2025 marks two whole decades since Microsoft's seminal Xbox console first launched - which is a bit of a scary thought, if we're honest. However, we do have lots of nostalgia for that...
News Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Analysis Compares Xbox 360 Original To Unreal Engine 5 Remaster
Another great Game Pass addition
This week, Digital Foundry has been back at it, testing out the recent Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remaster that shadow dropped onto Xbox Game Pass last month. In short, DF says that this new version of the Xbox 360 classic "isn't perfect - but it's the best version yet", whic
News Xbox 360's Launch Was One Of The 'Scariest' Career Moments For Ex-PlayStation Boss
It was a whole year before the PlayStation 3's release
The Xbox 360 generation is arguably the best era of Xbox gaming, and part of its success was credited to Microsoft getting the jump on the competition at the time. During an interview with MinnMax recently, former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida was asked about the "scariest moment" in his...
Soapbox Xbox Should Start Embracing Its Past A Whole Lot More
We have history together, MS
It's no secret, Xbox is changing. After a wild 2024 that firmly pushed Xbox towards full multiplatform territory, we're all slowly getting used to Microsoft's new vision for the brand. In theory, I don't take too much issue with change — it's inevitable some day, in some form — but one thing I'd love to see more...
News New Elder Scrolls 'Remake' Announcement Rumour Surfaces Online
Could the Xbox 360 classic 'Oblivion' be returning?
Xbox's 2025 lineup is starting to take shape and a new rumour today suggests one other title that could potentially be joining the first-party library next year is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. According to the well-known leaker Extas1s (via Insider Gaming), this remake / remaster is not only...
