The Xbox 360 will lose an important app next week that helps give a reason to keep the aging console around as a multimedia box. ESPN announced it is ending support for the WatchESPN app and encouraging users to migrate over to the Xbox One.
Spotted by DeadSpin, Xbox 360 users are now receiving a message when starting the ESPN app that it will no longer work on the last-gen console starting Wednesday, March 23. This leaves the Xbox One as the only console that does support the ESPN app, though it is also available on other devices such as the Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV.
The PlayStation 4 can also receive ESPN channels as part of the PlayStation Vue service, which starts at $29.99 a month. Xbox One users can also receive ESPN without the app through a SlingTV subscription.
The ESPN app on the Xbox 360 wasn’t always the most stable, but it was a popular alternative to catch up on broadcasts from the sports network’s various channels. It was also a huge get for Microsoft when promoting its console. Now the question is will the console see more apps discontinue support going forward.
As the Xbox One gains more backwards compatibility games and the Xbox 360 loses apps, the eleven-year old console’s uses fade away more quickly than ever.
[Image via Deadspin]
