The Xbox 360 was a milestone for modern gaming. It brought in achievement awards, leveled up online play, and was the birthplace of some of Microsoft’s most beloved franchises.
When released in 2005, the console even pulled ahead of PS3—thanks mostly to its competitive price point and year-long headstart—with a smattering of exclusives that shone much brighter than Microsoft’s exclusive games do now. Halo was arguably at the top of it’s game, and the online capabilities of the Xbox 360 created a massive community of competitive gamers.
That being said, not everything was flowers and sunshine for the Xbox 360, and neither was the system always a favorite among all gamers. Here are ten issues with the beloved console that most Xbox 360 fans have forgotten.
10 That Darn Disc Tray
While the Xbox One's disc trays are horizontal—and rarely used anymore—the Xbox 360 stood upright, and the disc tray popped out in a charmingly dated way. In early models—the white version—disc trays would often get stuck, and no amount of jostling would seem to get them loose.
While it might have been a good way to ensure a one game at a time kind of playstyle, it was hard to fix without giving the console a good whack or using tools to jiggle it loose.
9 Helicopter Or Console?
Okay, the Xbox 360 could be loud. Like, really loud. The original, “fat” 360 was known for an overactive fan, made worse when games were played on disc rather than installed on the tiny hard drive, but more on that later.
Some gamers found that upgrading to the 360 Slim, released in 2010, did help a bit, but, even on the newer model, the system still got pretty loud when playing graphically-intensive games. But, hey, after 10 hours of thrashing around in Skyrim, who wouldn’t get a bit overheated?
8 It Lost Ground In The Exclusives War
Arguably, the Orignal Xbox was the heyday of Halo, a storied console exclusive that was emblematic of gaming culture at the time and was arguably more iconic than any PlayStation exclusive of the era.
But, after the Xbox 360 was released, a series of Sony acquisitions made for a hot console war that turned the tide of gaming’s power struggle. With hot games like Uncharted and God Of War becoming world-renowned staples of AAA gaming, Xbox gamers might have felt a bit... left out.
7 Blue About Blu-Ray?
The Xbox has often played second fiddle to some of the PlayStation’s coolest features. While the PS3 console had blu-ray built-in, the Xbox 360 didn’t come with the ability to watch the films of the day in that style of high definition. Those who wanted to use their 360 to watch movies could purchase the HD-DVD player peripheral, but, even at the time, they were about as worthwhile as a fancy doorstop.
6 Pay-To-Play Online
More of a downside to Xbox services itself, the online subscription model was a benefit to PlayStation gamers at the time Xbox 360 hit shelves.
While the Microsoft online infrastructure was famous for its usability and stability, it did cost a hefty chunk of change each year, ableit a price millions were willing to play. But, the PS3 multiplayer system was free, making room in PlayStation players pockets for new games.
5 A Useless Kinect
The Kinect was cool—kind of—when it was released. A fun party game kind of accessory, it took hold of the Wii’s super popular motion controls and refined them in a way that seemed futuristic at the time.
But, many gamers might wince remembering the hefty price tags of a Kinect, especially when almost no mainstream games utilized the bulky camera system. By the end of the Xbox 360 cycle, the Kinect was probably collecting dust above a T.V., or maybe it was stuffed in a closet. At least Fruit Ninja Kinect was fun for five minutes!
4 Handheld Jealousy
Until recently, Xbox was a big screen only experience, and Xbox users might have been justifiably jealous of PlayStation players who could port PS3 games onto their PlayStation Vitas.
It was a huge jump in what was possible for handheld gaming; a jump that Microsoft missed until it developed its often glitchy Smartglass app in 2012. Even still, Xbox never got the slick handheld machines that Sony or Nintendo have released.
3 The Lack of Storage Space
The original Xbox 360 had measly storage options, of 20, 60, 120 GB at launch. While the system didn’t require the full game to be downloaded to your console to play, it meant that updates could end up clogging your memory.
As the gaming world evolved—especially towards the end of the console’s lifespan—full game downloads were a major investment, even though the Xbox 360 S came with larger storage options.
2 The Crazy-Long Console Lifecycle
The 10-year space between Xbox generations dragged on forever, and gamers got amazing value for sticking through it, with gaming’s biggest games dropping multiple entries in series like Call Of Duty, Halo, and Far Cry.
But consoles don’t last forever, and, after four or five years of hardcore gaming on the 360, many fans might have hankered for a refresh. But... with the way the tech world works, rumors of a next-gen console started ruminating far before the last Xbox 360, the “E” was released in 2013, just months before the Xbox One radically upgraded the lineup.
1 It Launched As A Glitch Machine
The red ring of death is synonymous with the Xbox 360—when talking about its failings, that is. Play Skyrim or GTA IV—or any game, really—for too long, and an ominous red ring lit up around the Xbox power button.
There were plenty of creative ways to fix the red ring problem, from wrapping your Xbox in towels to spraying it with compressed air. It was a massive technical flop on Microsoft’s part, and some reports say it was due to the console’s first design which overlooked potential for overheating. Almost 24 percent of Xbox 360 owners encountered this issue, too.