

Microsoft has announced the discontinuation of the Xbox 360 console, which originally went on sale in November 2005.

In an update on the Xbox Newswire, Xbox boss Phil Spencer wrote:

“Xbox 360 means a lot to everyone in Microsoft. And while we’ve had an amazing run, the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us. Which is why we have made the decision to stop manufacturing new Xbox 360 consoles. We will continue to sell existing inventory of Xbox 360 consoles, with availability varying by country.”

If you still want a console to complete your collection, play its games that are not yet backward compatible on Xbox One, or just for the sake of nostalgia you’ll need to grab one soon.

Spencer adds that to date the Xbox 360 stands with 78 billion gaming hours played, nearly 486 billion Gamerscore on 27 billion achievements unlocked, and over 25 billion hours spent in apps.

Xbox 360 owners will continue to receive Xbox Live services, including access to multiplayer gaming and parties, and Xbox Games with Gold titles. Xbox Live servers for Xbox 360 games will remain online and games will continue to be sold at retail until stocks run out, afterward, these games will still be available to purchase through the online store.

Microsoft began rolling out backward compatibility features for Xbox 360 games on Xbox One last year and the library of compatible titles is expanding.

The Xbox 360 has sold more than 80 million units and is Microsoft’s most successful console to date, though the Xbox One is ahead of its predecessor at similar points in the two consoles’ life cycles. Xbox One sales stand at around 20 million to date – Microsoft no longer provides sales figures.

Yesterday, reports indicated that Microsoft is testing various upgraded Xbox One prototypes.

It’s unclear at this point when Sony will discontinue the PS3 but the Japanese firm is also believed to be readying a more powerful PS4, codenamed NEO.