Gaming Gaming Services 86 86 people found this article helpful What Is the Xbox Network? The subscription service offers more than just games by Eric Qualls Writer Former Lifewire writer Eric Qualls has been covering the Xbox line of consoles and Xbox games since August 2004. our editorial process Twitter LinkedIn Eric Qualls Updated on March 30, 2021 Tweet Share Email Xbox Buyer's Guide Xbox Buyer's Guide Introduction Xbox Basics Best Xbox 360 Console For You Xbox Basics The Original Xbox One Xbox Family Settings What Is Xbox Live? How Much Does Xbox Live Cost? What is Xbox Live Gold? Buying Xbox Live Gold Xbox One Console Bundles Xbox One Exclusives Best Xbox One Games The Best Xbox One Games The Best Xbox One X Games Best Multiplayer Xbox One Games Best First-Person Shooter Games Best Xbox One RPGs Best Xbox One War Games Best Xbox One Kids Games Best Xbox One Sports Games Best Split-Screen Xbox One Games Best Xbox One Fantasy Games Best Co-Op Games on Xbox One Best Xbox One Racing Games Best Xbox One Zombie Games Best Open-World Xbox One Games Best Xbox One Strategy Games Best Xbox One Puzzle Games Best Xbox 360 Games Best Xbox 360 Games By Genre Best Xbox 360 Kinect Games Best Xbox 360 Games Best Xbox 360 Local Multiplayer Games Best Xbox 360 RPGs Best Xbox 360 First-Person Shooters Best Xbox 360 Fighting Games Best Kids Xbox 360 & Kinect Games Xbox Essentials Best Xbox One Accessories Best Xbox One Headsets Best Xbox Controllers Best Xbox One Apps Xbox Reviews Xbox One Elite Controller Review Xbox One Energizer Charging System Review Xbox One S Controller Review Xbox One X Review Xbox One Chatpad Review The Xbox network, previously known as Xbox Live, is Microsoft's online service for gaming and content distribution for the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One video game systems. It lets you play games against other people online as well as download demos, trailers, and even full games in the Xbox Live Arcade. You get to choose a nickname (called a gamertag) which is how you're known to other people in any games you play. You can keep friends lists to stay in touch with real-life friends or new people you meet online you like to play with. Xbox Live Gold is a subscription-based service that can be purchased for one month, three-month, and one-year periods. You can either buy subscription cards at retail stores or you can use your credit card on the console itself to sign up. You need an Xbox 360 or Xbox One, as well as a broadband internet service provider, to use it. The Xbox network is no longer available on the original Xbox console. There are two levels of service. The free level, previously called Xbox Live Silver, lets you download things from the Xbox Marketplace; chat with friends; use apps such as Netflix, ESPN, and many others; and share your gamer profile with other users. You can even chat in groups and access online multiplayer features for free-to-play games. However, you can't play most games online without an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Xbox Live Gold Subscription and Gift Cards Buying things on Xbox One (and Xbox 360 now) is done in good ol' local currency, so no more trying to figure out how much 800 Microsoft Points really costs. If you see a game priced at $10, it costs $10, which is much simpler. This means that instead of buying Microsoft Points at retailers, you can now buy Microsoft Gift Cards in various amounts. You can also buy Xbox Live Gold subscription cards at retailers. PayPal We highly recommend you use the gift and subscription cards noted above instead of putting your credit card info on your Xbox network account. Basically, if you don't put your credit card info on your account, there's nothing for hackers to potentially steal. Microsoft has greatly upped the security on Xbox network accounts over the last few years, so getting hacked isn't as common as it used to be (it was never exactly common, though, just to be clear), but it's better to be safe. You do still have to put some form of payment option into your account, however, and we recommend using PayPal. It offers an extra couple of layers of safety and security on top of what Microsoft already does to keep your information secure. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit