Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 store is to close its doors for good next year.
According to a post on the official Xbox site, the Xbox 360 store will close down on July 29th, after which point you won't be able to buy Xbox 360 content from the store anymore.
This includes Xbox 360 games, DLC for those games, and "other entertainment content" from that store, as well as from the Xbox 360 Marketplace website.
Relatedly, the Microsoft Movies & TV app will stop working on that date as well, so you won't be able to watch TV or movies on your Xbox 360 either. Content from that app can, however, still be viewed on PC (assuming you've got Windows 10 or 11), as well as newer Xbox consoles.
It's worth clarifying that this won't affect any Xbox 360 content you've already bought; you can continue to download and watch said content on your Xbox consoles after the cutoff date.
Microsoft says its rationale for making this decision is that "technology has evolved" and "expectations from players have shifted".
The company says it wants to make Xbox Series X|S "the best place to play now and in the future", which presumably means shifting focus away from the Xbox 360.
As well as playing your 360 games offline, you'll also still be able to enjoy them online, as long as the publisher supports the servers.
Of course, it's worth noting that in many cases, publishers no longer support Xbox 360 servers for games, as is the case for games like Metal Gear Solid V, as well as Epic's Rock Band titles and Microsoft's own Halo servers.
It's also worth noting that this doesn't affect Xbox 360 backwards compatible games, which Microsoft says you'll still be able to buy. You can check out Microsoft's FAQ section for this announcement right here.
