There's a chance you may have upgraded to the Xbox One. Microsoft is nearing 10 million shipped, and there was a nice uptick in sales for the eighth-gen console when it unbundled the Kinect sensor over the summer. That said, it's still lagging behind the PlayStation 4, which topped 10 million sold in August. The Xbox One is also not cheap, or backward compatible with old games.
Which means you could be one of over 84 million Xbox 360 users still making do with the older console. The 360 is the best-selling console Microsoft has made, the sixth best-selling in gaming history (right behind the PS2, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, original PlayStation, and Nintendo Wii). Which means there are a lot of 360 users still making do.
And why not? If you've got a 360, you've got a great combo of gaming play—hell, the 360 got a version of Destiny—and media hub. The Xbox 360 supports just about every major video-streaming service you'd find on all the little sticks from Google and Amazon and Roku, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube. Plus, it has its own store for selling the latest movie and TV show releases. For music, it's got Xbox Music, of course, but also supports iHeartRadio, Last.fm, Rhapsody, and Slacker.
There is obviously a lot of life left in the ol' Xbox 360. To solidify that fact, I've put together 12 tips that keep me happy every day with mine. Implement them if the console remains your hub of fun and entertainment activity.
Load Xbox SmartGlass App
If you haven't downloaded SmartGlass—a free app for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Kindle—do it. It's a remote control for navigating the Xbox right on your most used device. There's even a version for Windows 8, to use on tablets or even touch-screen laptops. It also has ties to a lot of Xbox 360 games, such as Halo 4—it's a great second display for watching your stats change without looking it up on the HDTV screen.
Type in Passwords
The controllers for the Xbox 360 are great for a lot of things, but quickly typing in passwords is not one of them. SmartGlass helps in this regard, but the best way is to have a chatpad attached to your controller. They're down to $15 on Amazon. There's also full keyboards for Xbox 360, specifically the $26.46 Microsoft Arc Wireless. Either way, you'll want one occasionally, when setting up Wi-Fi, or accessing accounts via 360 apps.
Don't Use a Credit Card
If you use your credit card for your Xbox Live account, Microsoft can always renew your account even if you don't want it. The smarter option: use purchased-at-retail Xbox Live Gold cards.
Get Gold Deals
Wondering if the cost of Xbox Live Gold ($10 a month, $25 for 3 months, $60 for a year) is worth it? It generally is, as Gold gives you access to not just all that amazing online gaming, and deals on downloadable games, but full access to all the apps for third-party services like Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, and much more. But you never have to pay that amount. A quick search of "Xbox Live Gold Deals" shows plenty of 12-month memberships priced much lower, closer to $40 than $60.
Pin Apps to My Pins
Xbox 360 has many, many apps, mostly free (though many, such as Netflix or HBO GO, require you to have a separate paid account, of course). Getting quick access to the ones you use most is why there's a My Pins area on the Xbox 360 front page—you pin them to that spot. To do so, after use, go to the Recent box, find the app and highlight it, then hit the X button to enter App Details. Then select Pin to Home.
Reorder Your Pins
Whatever the latest app you pin, it ends up at the end of the list. If you want it at the front to avoid some unnecessary scrolling, highlight it, click the Y button, and that will move it to the front (all the way to the left).
Pin Browser Pages to My Pins
Internet Explorer is the default (only) browser on Xbox 360. But it gives you some access to services you might not otherwise have on the console. For example, while there are apps for lots of services, it doesn't have them all—like, for instance, Pandora, Twitter, etc. But you can go to Pandora.com via IE and bookmark it. Those favorites are displayed whenever you start IE; or hit the Y button to access them anytime in the IE Web hub. Once you find a favorite you want faster access to, move the cursor over it, hit the X key (for Edit) and select "Pin to Xbox Home." Check the Featured section under the Web Hub for suggestions like Facebook, Songza, Flickr, Pinterest, and more.
Clear Cache on Older 360s
This isn't much of an issue for the newer versions of the Xbox 360, so much so that the option isn't even available. But older models still may have some storage caching going on—and it might be causing problems. To clear the cache go to the Settings, then Storage (or Memory), highlight a storage option (it doesn't matter which one), then Clear System Cache. The caches will be cleared on storage devices. It won't hurt stored game info or gamer tags or the like, but you will be asked to download game updates again. It's worth it if your Xbox 360 works a little better.
Let the Air Flow
The original generation of Xbox 360 and even after that were notorious for breaking—they'd get the Red Ring of Death (RRoD) when overheated and then were pretty much toast and needed replacing. Woe to those no longer under the warranty. It's not as big a deal with that last generations of Xbox 360, especially the "Slim," but airflow to keep the system cool is still important. It's best to never run a 360 in a cabinet. Not even the power-brick on the cord should be cooped up, nor should it be down low on the floor in the dust. Keep some canned-air on hand to blow them all clean occasionally. (Image)
Keep Kids Quiet
Want to get some hours of silence? Buy Minecraft for Xbox 360. Seriously, you won't hear a peep, and the graphics are a good match for the older console.
Install Games for Faster Play
If you've got a big enough hard drive on the Xbox 360, see if your favorite game supports "installation," where up to 8GB of key files are loaded on to the hard drive (or, optionally, a USB thumb drive plugged into the console). You'll still need to insert the disk to play (as proof you still own it), but the faster hard drive means you'll be playing faster, too. To install, you'll have to be on the Xbox 360 dashboard, not in the game itself, select the game that's in the tray, hit X on the controller, and look for the Install command option. It can take a while to install, so be patient.
Link Two 360 Consoles for Play
A select bunch of Xbox 360 games support direct one-on-one gaming, but you don't have to both be using the same (split)screen. With an Ethernet cross-over cable, you can connect two 360s directly. If you've got more than two 360s, use regular Ethernet patch cords to plug them all into a network hub or switch (like on the back of your home router). The game that supports system link should walk you through the rest.
Wireless connections are also an option, if the 360 has it built in or you have the Wi-Fi adapter for older models. Once all the connections are made, on one Xbox 360 go into Settings > System > Network Settings. Go to Advanced Networks > Advanced Settings > Create Ad-Hoc Network. Give it a name, and the other 360s should then go into their own settings to connect to that ad-hoc network.
Here's a list of the Xbox 360 Games that support system link. Note that each console will need its own copy, either downloaded or as a disc.
Wireless connections are also an option, if the 360 has it built in or you have the Wi-Fi adapter for older models. Once all the connections are made, on one Xbox 360 go into Settings > System > Network Settings. Go to Advanced Networks > Advanced Settings > Create Ad-Hoc Network. Give it a name, and the other 360s should then go into their own settings to connect to that ad-hoc network.
Here's a list of the Xbox 360 Games that support system link. Note that each console will need its own copy, either downloaded or as a disc.