Xbox Live Marketplace a Success…So Far

By Ian Bell May 17, 2006

The Xbox Live Marketplace may have sounded controversial at first thanks to a pay-per-download business model wrapped around exclusive content and arcade games, but with 24 million downloads since the Xbox 360 was introduced last November and counting, it appears that only the critics are complaining. Last week during the Electronic Entertainment Expo AKA E3 1.5 million users logged into the Xbox live marketplace to download exclusive content direct from the show floor, including the latest high-definition game demos and trailers, such as Halo 3, Gears of War and Fable 2; game add-on content, such as Map Packs from Call of Duty 2 and additional quests from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, movie trailers and music videos, such as

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The best Xbox Series X controllers for 2024

Hands holding the Scuf Instinct Pro controller.

A gamer is only as good as their controller, and the Xbox Series X has plenty of options to choose from when it comes to ways to interact with the best exclusives. However, a recent update to the system has made all unnofficial controllers no longer compatible, leading to confusion about which controllers one should invest in. That's why we made your search easy by listing not only controllers guaranteed to work on the system, but the best ones across the board.

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Best Buy Memorial Day sale: Save $50 on the Xbox Series X

A black Xbox Series X and controller against a black background.

We don’t see many Xbox Series X deals, so it’s great to see $50 off the Microsoft Xbox Series X at Best Buy at the moment. It normally costs $500, but right now you can buy it for $450, a small but useful price cut for anyone considering buying a new console. Pair it up with one of the best Xbox Game Pass deals and you can’t go wrong. If you’re keen to find out more about the console, keep reading and we’ll explain all.

Why you should buy the Microsoft Xbox Series X
Considered to be one of the best gaming consoles for Microsoft fans, the Microsoft Xbox Series X may have divisive looks but it’s supremely powerful with a wealth of games. The console provides 12 teraflops of power with support for DirectX ray tracing, 4K gaming, and even has a custom 1TB SSD for storage so it doesn’t skip a beat anywhere. It has lightning-fast load times with gameplay of up to 120 FPS ensuring everything looks fantastic. Arguably its best feature though is Quick Resume. That means you can easily leave where you left things even after turning the console off. It’s hugely useful and it’s quick too so your console is always ready for you to return.

Gaming

Best Xbox Game Pass deals: Upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate for cheap

Pretty much all consoles require some form of subscription service to be able to access multiplayer online, and the Xbox Series X and Series S are no different. Just like PS Plus, Xbox has the Game Pass system, which not only gives you online access it also provides you with a bunch of different games to play as well, so it's not all that bad. Not only that, but there is a tier that unlocks the full Game Pass game library on PC as well and lets you stream games if you don't have a powerful gaming PC. Also, be sure to check out these great Xbox Series S and X deals while you're here.
Xbox Game Pass Core -- $8, was $13 per month

Game Pass Core is the cheapest tier of Game Pass, but it still lets you access important features, including online multiplayer. Game Pass Core was launched with access to 36 games off the bat, and you can get exclusive discounts on certain downloadable games. If you're on Xbox and need access online, this is the way to go.
1-month subscription -- $8, was $13