Xbox 360 News
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...
Deals All 60+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2024
Grab some discounted classics!
Xbox's 2024 Countdown Sale is now live and has been since late last week, with over 1000 games discounted in total on the Microsoft Store. As usual, a chunk of the full list is focused on backwards compatible classics - with plenty of OG Xbox and Xbox 360 titles featured. So, down below we've gathered up every...
Random Xbox Has Apparently Made A 'Red Ring Of Death' Ugly Sweater
It's believed to be selling out fast at Microsoft
We've finally reached the holiday season and according to a story over on The Verge, Microsoft has internally released a new sweater. It's not just any sweater though, it's apparently a "Xbox 360 glitch holiday sweater". This one features what's described as an "interchangeable module" that can...
Random Xbox 360 Users Say Dashboard Has Been 'Destroyed', But It's Not As Bad As It Seems
Still kinda depressing though
When the Xbox 360 store got taken offline back in the summer, various users began sharing the "totally gutted" dashboard which looked extremely bare without any kind of Xbox Live branding or game advertisements to speak of. This topic has returned to the forefront over the past couple of days because a so-called "new"...
PSA Xbox 360's Two Crackdown Games Are Free On The Microsoft Store
Just a gentle reminder!
For a while now, a bunch of older Xbox games have been free to claim via the Microsoft Store, particularly from the Xbox 360 generation. Well, two of those games are Crackdown 1 & 2, and there's been lots of social media talk today about them being free - so we thought we'd bring them to your attention once again. Yep,...
News Almost 20 Games Will Be Delisted On Xbox In December 2024
Here's the full list
In recent months, we've covered quite a few planned server closures and full game delistings on Xbox, and as it happens - a bunch of upcoming casualties are actually going ahead later this month. As a result, the guys over at TrueAchievements have gathered up the full list of December 2024 shutdowns on Xb
Feature It Might Be Old, But The Xbox 360 Is Still An Amazing Console In 2024
Happy 19th Birthday!
Happy 19th birthday to the Xbox 360! Yes, the console originally launched on November 22nd, 2005, and it's been a crazy ride since then - incredible new features, an amazing library of games, the Red Ring of Death saga, the console's marketplace being turned off last year... it goes on and on. There have been highs and lows, but...
News Xbox Fan Shares Stunning 4K Images Of 360 Launch Title Project Gotham Racing 3
These look amazing!
Right, by now you probably know that we're huge fans of Project Gotham Racing here at Pure Xbox HQ - so it's no surprise that when we saw some fresh 4K images of PGR3 in and amongst the Xbox Reddit homepage this week, our hearts skipped a little bit. Of course, these aren't official images pulled from the Xbox version or...
News Xbox 360 Users Take To Social Media As Online Server Issues Persist
"Incredibly frustrating"
We're assuming most Pure Xbox readers aren't using their Xbox 360 consoles anymore, but just in case you are, you may have noticed over the past few days that you've been struggling to sign into the Xbox Live servers. The Xbox 360 subreddit has been filled with players complaining about this recently, sharing error messages...
News Dragon Age Remaster Collection Wouldn't Be 'As Easy' As Mass Effect, Admits BioWare
But "never say never"
Following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard last week, there's been a spike in fans returning to the series in general. If you were wondering whether EA plans to give the earlier games a Mass Effect: Legendary Edition style makeover, BioWare has now provided an update. In the same Rolling Stone interview, Dragon Age's...
News Five More EA Games Will Close Their Servers In November 2024
About a month left to play these online!
(Update - Thu 3rd Oct, 2024): We're now just about a month away from these games going offline for good on Xbox, so here's a quick reminder before they're no longer playable! FIFA 22 goes offline on November 4th, while the Xbox 360 versions of Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline
News Xbox 360 Classic Halo 3: ODST Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary
"Remember the Rookie"
Microsoft is already planning for certain other Halo and Xbox-related anniversaries, but right now, the focus is on the Xbox 360 classic Halo 3: ODST. Believe it or not, but it's now been 15 years since we dropped into New Mombasa as a rookie on a mission to locate Alpha-Nine. This also includes the debut of the wave-based...
News Xbox Dev Confirms Backwards Compatibility Issue, Provides Temporary Workaround
It's being fixed as we speak
Earlier this month, we began to see a bunch of people reporting issues with backwards compatibility on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and we're pleased to report that Xbox Insiders are already testing a fix for it. The issue revolved around installing backwards compatible games from disc, with players being...
News Halo's Cancelled Mega Bloks Prototype Game Just Got Released
A talented group has restored project 'Haggar'
Halo tends to focus on its mainline series, but there have been some spin-offs throughout its history. One of these games was actually the cancelled project 'Haggar' - probably better remembered as a third-person-style Halo game set in the world of Mega Bloks. Apparently there's been some progress...
News New Xbox Bug Causes Backwards Compatibility Issue For Some Games
But a previous multiplayer issue has now been fixed
Let's start with the good news - you know that issue we reported on Monday about some players being unable to access multiplayer features following the August update? Xbox has already pushed out an update to fix it. However, we've now got a new one. As reported by various Xbox fans over the past...
News Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP Is Getting An 'Original Mode' That Reproduces The Xbox 360 Experience
No censoring here
The upcoming Lollipop Chainsaw remake is almost here, with the game coming to current-gen consoles this month, before an Xbox One launch then arrives in November. Ahead of RePOP's nearby rollout on Xbox, developer Yoshimi Yasuda has detailed an "Original mode" that will feature in the remake, alongside the team's remixed way to...
News Former Xbox Boss Reveals How Apple Watch Played 'Big Role' In Saving His Life
It could have been a disastrous situation
If you've been following the world of Xbox since the early days, you'll almost certainly remember Peter Moore - he was the Xbox boss back in the mid 2000s, and famously revealed Halo 2 and GTA 4 with tattoos of both games. Moore has been in the news this week for something entirely unrelated to gaming...
News Xbox Series X|S Sales 'Holding Close' To Xbox 360 In The US, Says Analyst
"No, the console market isn't doomed."
In recent months, we've heard plenty about Xbox's well-documented hardware sales struggles in Europe, but that isn't necessarily the case in the US; Xbox's primary market. Despite a big drop in worldwide sales last quarter, an industry analyst is on-hand to remind us that the console is still doing pretty well...
News SEGA Confirms Partial Delisting For OG Sonic Generations On Xbox
It'll still be available "via bundles" though
We're just a couple of months away from the release of Sonic X Shadow Generations, and guess what that means? Yep, SEGA is removing the ability to buy the original Xbox 360 version of Sonic Generations from the Xbox Store. Actually, that's not entirely true. In a statement today, SEGA advised that the...
Talking Point Next Month Marks The 15th Anniversary Of Halo's Weirdest Console Release
ODSTs unite!
Looking back at all of these Xbox 360 anniversaries these days is starting to make us feel hella old, but today's revelation was a particularly hard punch to the gut. In just over a month's time, Halo 3: ODST will be 15 years old - so here's a timely tribute to what is probably Halo's weirdest console release. Launched back in...
News Xbox 360 'Cult Classic' Lollipop Chainsaw Returns This September For Series X|S
Juliet makes a comeback in 4K
(Update: Tue 6th Aug, 2024): Dragami Games has announced a slight tweak to the release date for Lollipop Chainsaw Remake. The Japan/Asia release date will remain the same as planned, but the game will now release two weeks earlier in America and Europe; on September 12th. (Original story: Fri 14th Jun, 2024): We've...
News GameStop Takes Jab At Xbox 360 Store Closure, Backfires Immediately
"Bet y'all wish you bought physical copies now"
US video game retailer GameStop has weaponised the recent Xbox 360 store shut down on social media platform X, reminding its followers about the importance of physical video games - and it hasn't exactly been subtle about its preference for the physical format either. In a brief reply to the latest...
News Xbox 360 Store Completely Removed From Console Dashboard After Shutdown
It looks so bare!
Yesterday, the Xbox 360 store officially closed down for good. All digital content that hadn't been brought over to the new backwards compatible storefront has now disappeared - and strangely, so has the whole store section of the Xbox 360 dashboard. Posted on Twitter late last night, down below we can see a new look at how the...
