It Might Be Old, But The Xbox 360 Is Still An Amazing Console In 2024
Image: Damien McFerran, Hookshot Media (Pure Xbox)

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 there's no doubt that most Xbox fans consider this a classic console... possibly the best in the brand's entire history.

But what about its place in today's world? Is there any point keeping an Xbox 360 around in 2024? We're biased because we're huge Xbox fans, but we'd say it's a definite yes! There's still so much to enjoy with the Xbox 360 these days that can't be enjoyed on modern consoles, and obviously a lot of that relates to backwards compatibility.

It's to Microsoft's credit that a whopping 632 games from the Xbox 360 library can be played on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S these days, and you don't have to buy them again in order to enjoy them on modern consoles. That's an amazing feat that shouldn't be overlooked... but there are still many more that are locked to the 360.

You can probably think of a title off the top of your head - we highlighted Blur a few months ago, for example:

There are so many great experiences that backwards compatibility is unfortunately missing out on, quite often due to licensing reasons. Sure, you can't buy some of these digitally anymore, but at least their physical versions still exist!

While we're talking about backwards compatibility, another thing that I personally use my Xbox 360 for is playing original Xbox games. See, the 360 had a different kind of backwards compatibility that allowed all sorts of OG Xbox titles to run on it - Burnout 3, Tony Hawk's Underground, etc - and it's a very different list to what you'll get on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. You need to buy a hard drive for it, but otherwise it's good to go.

You know what else, though? We're living in a world now that's full of online-only games, constant updates, cloud-based titles that run into server issues, and physical titles that don't actually contain the full content on the disc. The Xbox 360 represents a simpler time where you could (and can still) open a box, insert a disc, and begin playing your chosen game. As time has gone on, we've come to appreciate this quality more and more.

So yeah, that's why we're still regularly using our Xbox 360 consoles in 2024 here at Pure Xbox! But how about you? Do you still have one hooked up, or has it been years since you last tried one? We'd love to hear from you down below!

The following poll proved really popular back in April - give us your vote if you haven't already!

Do You Still Use Your Xbox 360 In 2024? (3,853 votes)

  1. Yes, I use it all the time!17%
  2. Fairly often, yeah14%
  3. Now and again20%
  4. Rarely, but it's been known13%
  5. No, I don't use it at all!13%
  6. I used to have a 360, but I don't now17%
  7. I've never owned an Xbox 360 actually...6%

What did you vote in the poll? Any Xbox 360 memories to share with us? Tell us in the comments.