It's official. Xbox 360 Store closing today, four years after PS3 Store (partial) closure

It’s official, done and dusted. Xbox 360 Store closing starts today, July 29, 2024, as soon as 5 PM PT (Pacific Time), or 7 PM CT/8 PM ET.

The Xbox 360 Store’s closure marks the end of an era for the console, which was first launched in 2005. This closure will also include the discontinuation of the Microsoft Movies & TV app on Xbox 360.

But, despite the store’s closure, previously purchased content will remain accessible and playable, including through backward compatibility on Xbox One and Series X/S consoles. You will still also have support for Xbox 360 issues and can access backed-up game saves on newer consoles.

The Xbox 360 has sold over 86 million units, making it Microsoft’s best-selling console with Kinect Adventures being the best-selling game. Its competitor, Sony’s PlayStation 3, also shipped roughly 87.4 million units with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V being its best-selling title with 34 million copies.

Sony, on the other hand, removed the ability to purchase PS3, PS Vita, and PS games from the PS Store for web and mobile back in October 2020, around four years before the Xbox 360 Store closing.

While the PlayStation Store on consoles will remain unaffected, the overhaul indicates a shift towards the current PS5 era. Current purchases will not be affected, and you can still buy digital PS3 games directly via the Store on the console even though you can’t really play them natively without being cloud streamed.

But how long can the Japanese console maker keep up with selling PS3 games in the Store? Who knows. While Xbox 360 games will remain playable and purchasable on newer consoles through backward compatibility, the lack of similar support for PS3 games on newer PS consoles may result in a huge L for PS3 owners.