I know the idea of the Xbox 360 being a retro console will keep some of you up at night, but it just hit the right milestone for the accolade. That's right, Microsoft's second attempt at taking on Sony and Nintendo just turned 20, baby, and while it's joining a club of other systems that are harder to hook up to a TV, its HDMI output is looking a little creaky. Luckily, there are upscaling gadgets to help it feel fresh from the factory out there, and the one I use is discounted for Black Friday.
Hooking the Xbox 360 up to an upscaler like the Marseille mClassic perhaps never crossed your mind. That makes sense since they're usually the domain of old analogue video signals with connectors that TVs have long abandoned. However, now that a 25% discount has chopped the gadget I use to $74.99, it can help clean up the console's HDMI visuals by combating visual drawbacks of the time like aliasing, all while ramping things up to 1440p.
The mClassic's whole approach to upscaling is incredibly simple, so much so you might suspect the HDMI cable equivalent of snake oil. Having spent a lot of time with this dongle as someone who still uses the best retro consoles daily, though, I can assure you it actually does help the Xbox 360 look that bit better in the modern age, especially if you use a QHD gaming monitor.
I should point out that there are three flavors of the mClassic, with the red version representing the vanilla option with no specific objective. The green dongle is specifically designed to pair with what enthusiasts would call "real" retro consoles like the SNES and Sega Genesis, while the blue edition serves as life support for the OG Nintendo Switch.
The difference, aside from potato-chip packet colored shells, is Marseille's clever algorithm built into each. They'll all upscale visuals to 1440p on screens with that resolution, but the way each implements anti-aliasing to combat jaggy edges and adjusts colors is more tuned to each console genre. The Switch Edition is the most different of the three since its side toggle features an extra model for color enhancement.
For the 360 specifically, you'll want to use the original red version. Its side toggle is similar to the other editions, but the retro flavor puts more emphasis on enhancing earlier systems with pixel-based graphics and a 4:3 aspect ratio. Naturally, Microsoft's sequel system is in widescreen, and the aim is to largely crisp things up and smooth out some of the unslightly edges.
I've got a couple of examples to illustrate what I mean, and while the mClassic's effects are subtle, they are pretty valuable. One of my favorite gems as a certified elder emo, Alice: Madness Returns, gets a nice glow up when it comes to ragged textures and spikey character features, with our edgy protagonist's eyes looking less like MS Paint makeup and more like the 2010s smoky look it's meant to be.
Again, depending on your appreciation for tuned-in fidelity, you might find the changes a tad subtle. But, last time I fired up The Darkness, a wonderful gothic horror shooter that's all but trapped on the Xbox 360 since there's no modern ports, I noticed that the mClassic breathes life into the gloomy FPS romp's environments. I never figured playing an aging 360 exclusive at an undesirable frame rate on a high-end monitor could actually look good, but playing at QHD with effective anti-aliasing enabled makes one hell of a difference.
I will fully admit $75 is still a bit bougie for a dongle that'll subtly improve Xbox 360 visuals. Plus, I have no idea why, but it still uses micro USB for power, which feels like an absolute affront in 2025 (even if that doesn't really matter once it's plugged in). I'd still absolutely consider one if you're diving into a bunch of Microsoft's exclusives to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and the red model does double up as a form of Nintendo Switch life support if you're still using the handheld in TV mode.
Keep in mind this is coming from a nerd who has their chonky grey launch model still in their game room and the slimmer black version above under their TV. So, y'know, if you're that sort of person, this upscaler is for you.
Looking for more discounts this week? Swing by Black Friday retro deals for more classic console savings. You'll want to peek at Black Friday Steam Deck deals for handheld-shaped offers and Black Friday gaming monitor deals for panel price cuts.
