Original Xbox Retrospective: 25 Years Since the $299 Launch

The original Xbox turns 25 on November 15, 2026. Microsoft’s first game console went on sale in North America in 2001, and it came with a hard drive, a built-in network port, and a shooter called Halo. Here is what the launch looked like and why the box still matters.

What Microsoft Sold on Day One

Microsoft’s launch-day announcement is dated November 15, 2001, and says the console went on sale at midnight. It listed an estimated retail price of $299, with a note that prices could vary by store. Microsoft also said Xbox could be found at more than 15,000 retail locations across North America.

Looking back, the setup was simple compared with today’s consoles. Xbox’s own 20th anniversary post says players hooked the console to a standard-definition CRT TV with three or more cables. It says games ran at 640 × 480, with 8GB of storage and 64MB of memory.

The Launch Games

Microsoft’s launch announcement named five games:

• Halo
• NFL Fever 2002
• Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee
• Project Gotham Racing
• Dead or Alive 3

Microsoft said 19 games were available during launch week, with another 10 to 15 expected before the end of the holiday season. That is a lot of choice for a brand-new system.

The Hard Drive and the Network Port

Two parts set the first Xbox apart. Microsoft pointed to the built-in hard drive and the built-in Ethernet port for broadband internet. A hard drive meant saves and extra content did not have to live only on small memory cards.

Online play was not ready on day one. Microsoft said broadband service was scheduled to go live in summer 2002, so early owners bought a box that was built for a feature they could not use yet.

How Fast Halo Took Off

In April 2002, Microsoft said Halo: Combat Evolved passed 1 million copies in the United States and Canada, citing NPD data. Microsoft called it the fastest million-unit seller ever for a next-generation console. It also said more than six copies had sold every minute since launch, at an estimated price of $49.99.

Microsoft also made bigger claims about the console itself. It said Xbox had reached the No. 2 spot in current console sales after four months, and that its first four months beat PlayStation 2 system sales by 25 percent. Those numbers come from the company, so treat them as Microsoft’s view of the race.

How Xbox Is Marking 25 Years

Xbox has an anniversary page that ties the celebration to Xbox Game Pass. It lists games from every era, including OG Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Dates, gear, and any special items can change, so check that page before you plan around them.

Want more Xbox hardware history? Read how the oversized controller from this era came back in our Xbox Duke controller history. Which launch game would you have picked in 2001?

Image Credit: Xbox