Microsoft stops manufacturing Xbox 360-consoles

We’ve just finished celebrating the ten year anniversary of the Xbox 360 and we already have to prepare a different kind of party. A goodbye party, actually, because Microsoft will no longer manufacture new Xbox 360-consoles.

By Esther Kuijper

It’s not unusual for two or even three generations of consoles to coexist. However, the Xbox One has been out for three years already (or two years, in most European countries) and it’s time to say goodbye to the ten year old Xbox 360. Luckily it’s not a complete goodbye, because many functions of the Xbox 360 will remain unchanged for the time being.

Wat will happen to your Xbox 360?

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, explains it all in the blog of the official Xbox-site: the manufacturing of the consoles will end, but most services will continue like normal. The existing inventory of Xbox 360-consoles will be sold, but after those are gone it will be impossible to buy a ‘new’ Xbox 360. The same goes for controllers and all add-ons for the 360.

If you have one at home, you don’t have to worry at all; Xbox Live will stay online. All applications, Games with Gold and Deals with Gold will stay available in the forseeable future. If your Xbox 360 has any defects, or you’re experiencing any other issues with the last-gen console, you can of course still contact Xbox’s support.

If you don’t own an Xbox 360 (anymore), but you would like to play games for it anyway, you still can with the Xbox One Backwards Compatibility. Microsoft will keep adding games on the Xbox One which you can enjoy for no extra costs.

End of an era

We kind of saw this coming, but now that the Xbox 360 is officially ‘dead’, it makes you think. How many great games have been released for the 360 the past 10 years? Luckily Microsoft gives us the opportunity to play those games anyway for the coming years. So, this might be the perfect moment to dig out your favorite 360-games (or install them) or buying that one sick game you never got around to play. Are feeling the nostalgia already?