Xbox Live Gold Required for Online? (Wireless Adapter Irrelevant)

Yes, Xbox Live Gold (now Xbox Game Pass Core) is required for online multiplayer on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, regardless of connection type (wired, wireless adapter, internal Wi-Fi).

Breakdown

• Xbox 360: Gold required for online multiplayer, party chat, Games with Gold. Free: Silver (marketplace, Netflix, single-player).
• Xbox One / Series X|S: Gold / Game Pass Core required for online multiplayer (except free-to-play titles like Fortnite, Apex, Warzone which no longer need Gold as of April 2021). Game Pass Ultimate includes Core.
• Wireless Adapter (Xbox 360 USB / Internal Wi-Fi): Only provides network connectivity. Does not include Live subscription.

Current Pricing (US)

• Game Pass Core: $9.99/mo, $24.99/3mo, $59.99/yr. (Includes online + ~25 legacy games).
• Game Pass Ultimate: $16.99/mo. (Core + Console/PC Game Pass + Cloud + EA Play + Perks).

Buy digital codes from Microsoft, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, CDKeys (authorized). Avoid "free code generators"—scams.