Microsoft Updates Xbox 360 Nearly 20 Years Later

Earlier this week, some devoted Xbox 360 users booted up their aging consoles to find that Microsoft had updated the home screen to finally resolve an issue with box art. In addition to this fix, several sources users on Reddit, as well as Kotaku, have confirmed that the update also adds sizable advertisements for the Xbox Series X|S consoles to the 360’s dashboard, as noted in spotted by TrueAchievements.

Microsoft’s last major update to the Xbox 360’s dashboard came shortly after Microsoft shut down the Xbox 360 online store in July 2024, when it removed menus and tiles that were no longer needed. This update introduced a bug that caused game thumbnails and box art to appear stretched and distorted on the home screen, but that issue has now been resolved.

What’s less welcome are Microsoft’s not-so-subtle hints that it might be time for Xbox 360 owners to consider an upgrade. The two different ads that now appear on the 360’s dashboard include one featuring an image of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles without any text, and another featuring a QR code that leads to the Xbox website, encouraging players to “Experience next gen performance.”

Clicking either ad does not yield any results. Users will need to use their smartphones or tablets to visit the URL embedded in the QR code, where they will be further enticed to upgrade to the latest Xbox model.

The Xbox 360 remains Microsoft’s best-selling console to date, with approximately 84 million units sold since its launch in 2005. It maintained popularity long after the release of the Xbox One and still held a significant market share in countries like Mexico following the launch of the Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft kept its online store operational for an impressive 19 years, indicating the console’s long-term usage by gamers.