How to Download Xbox 360 Games With Gold Before They Disappear
If you’re an Xbox Live Gold member, your subscription will soon drop in value. Microsoft has announced that Xbox 360 games will soon no longer be included in the Games with Gold program.
Let’s look over the details of this announcement to learn how it affects you, then we’ll see how to claim the final Xbox 360 titles on offer.
Xbox 360 Games Leaving Games With Gold
In case you’re not familiar, Games with Gold is part ofthe paid Xbox Live Gold membership. This grants you downloadable games each month at no additional charge.
For the past several years, these have been two “free” Xbox One titles, plus two Xbox 360 games (occasionally, an original Xbox game will substitute for a 360 title). All Games with Gold Xbox 360 titles since late 2015 have been backward-compatible with Xbox One and Series X|S.
However, starting October 1, 2022, Microsoft will no longer provide Xbox 360 games with this program. In an email to subscribers, the company stated the following:
We have reached the limit of our ability to bring Xbox 360 games to the catalog; however, Games with Gold will continue to include exciting Xbox One titles and exclusive savings each month.
While the exact details are unknown, it seems that Microsoft has either run into licensing issues with Xbox 360 titles, or that not enoughgames are backward-compatible with Xbox Series X|Sand Xbox One.
The good news is that any Xbox 360 Games with Gold titles you’ve claimed in the past (or in these last few months) are yours to keep forever, even if your subscription lapses. Meanwhile, Xbox One and Series X|S titles are no longer available if you cancel your Xbox Live subscription.
How to Claim Xbox 360 Games with Gold Titles
You should claim the final few months' worth of Xbox 360 Games with Gold if you’re an Xbox Live subscriber. Don’t forget thatXbox Game Pass Ultimate includesXbox Live Gold, so if you have that service, you’re eligible for these titles too.
Note that the Xbox 360 titles are staggered each month. One is available from the 1st through the 15th; the second is available from the 16th of the current month until the 15th of the next month.
You can claim Games with Gold using your Xbox console or a browser. To grab them in a browser, follow these steps:
On your Xbox console, here’s how to claim Games With Gold Xbox 360 titles:
Once you acquire the games using either method, you’ll find them underMy games & apps. Since you keep 360 titles for good, they appear inFull LibraryunderAll owned games. TheGames with Goldsection only includes Xbox One and Series X|S titles.
Fewer Games With Gold
While it’s reasonable for Microsoft to stop providing free games for a system that’s over 15 years old, it does make Xbox Live gold less attractive of a package. In the coming months, we’ll learn whether Microsoft plans to replace those two monthly titles with newer Xbox games, or if subscribers will be limited to two titles.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the console divide, Sony stopped providing PS3 and PS Vita titles in 2019, though that’s different since the PS4 isn’t backward-compatible with PS3 games.
Thankfully, many Xbox 360 games are playable on modern Xbox consoles, so these classics are still accessible. you could enjoy lots of them with an Xbox Game Pass subscription; that’s just one of the many reasons this service is a must-have for Xbox gamers.
Are you an avid Xbox or PC gamer? Then check out the reasons why you should get an Xbox Game Pass subscription right now.
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