Xbox 360 and PS3 Features Time Forgot

There’s only one thing to say about the Xbox One and PS4: it’s about time! Don’t get us wrong, we love the current generation systems, but the Xbox 360 and PS3 launches in 2005 and 2006, respectively, seem ancient; think about where you were in 2005. So much has changed. Remember the blade interface on Xbox 360? We do. 

With this in mind, we looked back fondly on these systems to see how they evolved, but most importantly, at the features and gadgets that time forgot. 

Xbox 360 Faceplates

Before the original Xbox 360 came along, there was little in the way of system customization. Microsoft changed that with interchangeable faceplates, and just about everyone jumped on the bandwagon. The publisher released its own line of peripherals in a variety of colors (wood paneling…so 80s), and a special E3 2005 faceplate went for crazy amounts on eBay. There were also video game-themed faceplates for such titles as Project Gotham Racing 4 and Viva Piñata. Even third parties attempted to grab a piece of the action, and before we knew it, sports team faceplates were everywhere. 

What happened? Microsoft redesigned the Xbox 360 and removed the option to swap faceplates. That essentially killed the craze.

Xbox Live Vision Camera

Released in 2006, this tiny camera aimed to enhance Xbox Live by giving players a superior means of communication. Granted, we enjoyed taking driver’s license photos in Burnout Paradise and tormenting people in Uno, but Xbox Live Vision never reached its true potential, and was eventually phased out to make room for Kinect.

Honorable Mention – PlayStation Eye: Had it not been for the Move controller, this camera’s life may have ended with Eye of Judgment.  Speaking of which, we need an Eye of Judgment sequel for PS4.

SIXAXIS Controller 

The PS3 is so old that some late adopters have no idea Sony ditched rumble with the system’s original controller, and attempted to sell its audience on Wii-style motion control. To be fair, the extremely light SIXAXIS controller worked fine, but not enough games made use of it. In fact, we can’t remember the last time we waved our DualShock 3’s around. We’re so lazy!

Xbox 360 Chatpad

Of all the items on this list, the Xbox 360 Chatpad is by far the most functional. Microsoft wanted Xbox Live users to send each other messages, but navigating the virtual keyboard with the left analog stick was and still is time consuming. Plugging in the Chatpad made this process much easier. Whether or not Microsoft did a good job marketing the thing is up for debate.

Note: Some Xbox 360 owners still use and love the Chatpad, so if anything, it barely made the list.

PS3 Backwards Compatibility with PS2 Games 

The original PlayStation 3 (circa 2006) can play PS2 games. That said, Sony nixed this feature in newer models, and the concept of popping in a God of War 2 disc (and having it actually work) is a distant memory. To be fair, Microsoft didn’t make all original Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360, but you can still use specific titles like Jet Set Radio Future and Panzer Dragoon Orta right now; no support for Otogi: Myth of Demons for some bizarre reason.