It’s not every day that a new console makes it to store shelves, but when the original Xbox did, it was a pretty big deal. No doubt it had a rocky start, but fast forward two decades later, and it’s become a behemoth in the gaming industry alongside Sony and Nintendo. With that said, let’s take a look at all the Xbox consoles gamers have had the pleasure of owning, in order of release date.
Every Xbox Console Launched, in Order of Release Date
The OG Xbox
- Release Date: Nov. 15, 2001
While the PlayStation 2 certainly outshined and dominated the sixth console generation, there’s no doubting the influence the original Xbox had on gaming moving forward.
Of course, the original Xbox was also a surprisingly powerful piece of hardware all around and had a few amenities that later console generations would copy. For example, the Xbox came with an internal hard drive, whereas consoles like the PS2 and GameCube opted for memory cards.
Most importantly, planted the seed for online multiplayer in such a way that only Microsoft can really take credit for. Unlike the PS2, you didn’t need an adapter (that you had to buy separately) to play online because the Xbox had a built-in Ethernet port.
With the console releasing alongside Halo: Combat Evolved, and Xbox Live released the following year, Microsoft paved the way for online multiplayer.
Xbox 360
- Release Date: Nov. 22, 2005
If the original Xbox set the stage, then the Xbox 360 was the heavy metal band that headlined. Compared to its predecessor, the 360 was a massive step forward in terms of hardware, online capabilities, and a strong gaming library to boot.
And we can’t forget its excellent price of $400 compared to the PS3’s hefty $500. It’s a wild price for a gaming console that could output in 1080p at 60 FPS, too. You also had access to many of gaming’s biggest hits like Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto V, and Mass Effect. Then there were the hard-hitting exclusives like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza Motorsport.
Over its lifespan, Microsoft released two more versions: the Xbox 360 S and the 360 E. Both offered improvements to the hard drive, which was a godsend. Given how accessible digital games were on the Xbox Marketplace, the tiny 20GB hard drive on the original 360 just wasn’t enough.
Xbox One
- Release Date: Nov. 22, 2013
Microsoft was on a roll after the release of the Xbox 360, creating a growing ecosystem of great exclusives and the continued success of Xbox Live. The Xbox One was designed to expand on that as an all-in-one entertainment system.
It was the first Xbox console to support Blu-Ray discs—a feature originally synonymous with PlayStation. With streaming being far more accessible at this point, it certainly gave the Xbox One a new facet of entertainment, even more so when the Xbox Game Pass hit the scene a few years later.
The Xbox One controller was better than ever and arguably the highlight of the console. It felt like a proper design evolution thanks to better feedback on all fronts, especially the triggers.
Like the Xbox 360, the Microsoft released two more versions: the Xbox One S and the One X. Both would offer support for 4K gaming or, at the very least, 1080p upscaled to 4K.
Xbox Series X|S
- Release Date: Nov. 10, 2020
While the Xbox One didn’t have a stellar launch—and that’s putting it lightly—the Xbox Series X|S fared far better than its predecessor. Rather than release new versions at a later date, the Xbox Series X|S launched with two versions right out of the gate.
The Series X features a great deal of power like 8K gaming, along with an incredibly fast SSD. At a drastically lower price, gamers can opt for the more conservative Series S, aimed at gaming at 1440p, though it shares the same 120 FPS support and SSD as its more powerful sibling.
However, the Series S is digital-only, which isn’t much of a problem considering the awesome value of the Game Pass. And its only going to get better with titles like Starfield being a PC and Xbox exclusive.
That’s the last of the Xbox consoles, in order of their release dates. We’ll wait in anticipation on what Microsoft has in store for the future of their consoles. Until then, you can take a look at our related content by using the links below!
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