Microsoft has confirmed that it will stop making the Xbox 360. The gaming console will no longer be available in retailers around the world after the current stock is sold out. After the announcement, many tech experts say the rumored Xbox One Slim could debut in June's E3 2016.
The Xbox 360 became available in 2005. Although the console had early technical issues, Microsoft sold at least 84 million units as of June 2014. The gaming company confirmed in its blog post that it will stop developing Xbox 360 consoles.
According to the director of Microsoft's Xbox division, Phil Spencer, the Xbox 360 means a lot to everyone in the Microsoft Company. Even though it had an amazing run, "the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us."
After more than 10 years in the market, it is estimated that gamers had completed more than 78 billion hours of play on Xbox 360.
For owners of Xbox 360, they should expect to receive updates, and Xbox Live services are still up for multiplayer gaming and app support. The console's online servers are also up and the company's maintenance team will continue to service Xbox 360 owners. As for games, players can still access the Xbox 360 games, and it will be sold as supplies last in gaming stores.
Even though the console is going away, it will still continue to generate money for Microsoft in the next years to come, according to Washington Post.
Meanwhile, after Microsoft's announcement, many believe the company is shifting its focus on the much-improved Xbox One, as per reports from Yahoo Tech.
In a leaked patent documents filed by Microsoft, it reveals the company is developing a slimmer model of Xbox One. In addition, the rumored hardware will contain several improvements and new features.
We previously reported that an improved version of the Xbox One was in the developments and could possibly make its debut this summer. It is reported that there are two FCC filings from Microsoft that would expire on June 25 and July 29. With that timeline, the new console could be revealed on June's E3 2016 event.
As of now, details about the rumored Xbox One Slim are still scarce, but the new console is basically a svelte version of Xbox One just like Xbox 360 has a slim variant.
