Original Xbox

The original Xbox, often called the OG Xbox or Xbox original, was Microsoft’s first home video game console. It arrived late to a market led by the PlayStation 2, but it introduced Halo, built-in hard drive storage, broadband-only online play with Xbox Live, and the idea that a PC company could make a great console. Everything Xbox has done since started here.

When did the first Xbox come out?

The original Xbox release date was November 15, 2001 in North America, at $299. Japan followed on February 22, 2002 and Europe on March 14, 2002. So when did Xbox come out as a brand? Late 2001, which is why Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary on November 15, 2026. Microsoft had announced the console at the Game Developers Conference in March 2000, and Bill Gates unveiled the final design at CES in January 2001 alongside The Rock.

Why the first Xbox mattered

• Halo: Combat Evolved launched with the console and proved that first-person shooters could work with a controller.
• Xbox Live (November 2002) gave console players a single online account, friends list and voice chat for every game.
• A built-in hard drive (8GB) meant no memory cards, custom soundtracks ripped from CDs, and faster loading.
• PC-like hardware with an Intel CPU and Nvidia graphics made it the most powerful console of its generation.

Original Xbox specs

Part	Original Xbox
CPU	733 MHz custom Intel Pentium III
GPU	233 MHz Nvidia NV2A
Memory	64MB DDR shared
Storage	8GB hard drive, DVD drive
Online	10/100 Ethernet (broadband only)
Units sold	About 24 million

Best original Xbox games

1. Halo: Combat Evolved: the game that sold the console.
2. Halo 2: the biggest Xbox Live game of its time.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: BioWare’s classic RPG.
4. Fable: Lionhead’s fairytale RPG, now being rebooted by Playground Games.
5. Ninja Gaiden Black: one of the hardest and best action games ever.
6. Jade Empire: BioWare’s martial-arts RPG.
7. Jet Set Radio Future: Sega’s stylish skating game.
8. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory: the high point of stealth on the console.
9. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge: arcade air combat.
10. Burnout 3: Takedown: the best arcade racer of its era.

Many old Xbox games are playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility, with higher resolution. If you own the disc of a compatible game, insert it and the console downloads the enhanced version. Not every original Xbox game is on the list, so collectors still keep the console.

Original Xbox for sale: what to know

An original Xbox for sale usually costs $80-$180 used in 2026, more with a working Duke controller and boxed. Before you buy:

• Ask about the clock capacitor. Early models (versions 1.0-1.4) have a capacitor that leaks and can destroy the motherboard. Many sellers have already removed it; if not, have it removed.
• Test the DVD drive. Drives from Thomson, Philips and Samsung age differently, and the Samsung drives are the most reliable.
• Check the controller ports and the breakaway cables on the controllers.
• Use the right cables. Component cables give the best picture on modern TVs; HDMI adapters are available.

The Duke and Controller S

The original Xbox controller, nicknamed the Duke, was famously huge. Microsoft replaced it with the smaller Controller S in 2002, first in Japan and then everywhere. In 2018 Hyperkin released a licensed USB remake of the Duke for Xbox One, Series X|S and PC, which is the easiest way to get the original feel today. More on controllers in the Xbox controller hub.

Xbox BIOS and ROMs

Xbox BIOS refers to the console’s firmware. Emulators such as xemu need a BIOS file, a flash image and a hard drive image to run original Xbox games on a PC. Xbox ROMs (usually ISO files) are copies of game discs. The legal way is to dump the BIOS from your own console and make backups of discs you own; downloading BIOS files or ROMs you do not own is copyright infringement. We do not link to downloads.

Old Xbox games on modern consoles

Microsoft added original Xbox backward compatibility in 2017, with a final batch in November 2021. Highlights include Halo 2 (via the Master Chief Collection), Fable (as Fable Anniversary), Ninja Gaiden Black, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Crimson Skies and Psychonauts. These run on Xbox One and Series X|S at up to four times the original resolution, and digital versions are still sold on the Xbox store.

How the original Xbox was made

The project began inside Microsoft’s DirectX team in 1998, when engineers Seamus Blackley, Kevin Bachus, Otto Berkes and Ted Hase pitched a console built from PC parts. The working name was the “DirectX Box”, which was shortened to Xbox. Microsoft wanted to stop Sony’s PlayStation 2 from taking over the living room, and it was willing to lose money on every console sold to get a foothold. It reportedly lost billions on the original Xbox, but the platform and the Xbox Live network it built paid off with the Xbox 360.

Microsoft also bought Bungie in 2000, which turned Halo from a Mac and PC game into the Xbox’s killer app. Launch games included Halo, Project Gotham Racing, Dead or Alive 3, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee and Fuzion Frenzy. The console sold about 1.5 million units in North America in its first few weeks.

Original Xbox vs PS2 vs GameCube

The PS2 sold far more (over 155 million units), and the GameCube sold about 21 million. The Xbox had the most powerful hardware of the three and the best online service, and many multi-platform games looked and ran best on it. It struggled in Japan, where it sold under half a million units, but in North America it beat the GameCube and became a strong second place.

Things you can still do with an OG Xbox

• Play system link LAN parties: Halo and Halo 2 still support up to 16 players over connected consoles.
• Use community replacement servers that revive some Xbox Live features for compatible games.
• Rip CDs to the hard drive for custom soundtracks in supported games.
• Play region-free imports with a modded console (modding voids warranty and pirating is illegal).

Original Xbox release date by region

Region	Release date	Price
North America	November 15, 2001	$299
Japan	February 22, 2002	34,800 yen
Europe	March 14, 2002	479 euros
Australia	March 14, 2002	649 AUD

The first Xbox was discontinued in 2006, after the Xbox 360 launched. Microsoft shut down original Xbox Live service on April 15, 2010. Today the console lives on through backward compatibility and the Xbox 25th anniversary celebrations, which include the translucent green Xbox Series X25 edition inspired by the original Xbox design.

Is an original Xbox worth collecting?

Yes, if you love the era. Prices are still reasonable compared with many retro consoles, the library includes dozens of games that never left the platform, and the hardware is easy to repair with a big community behind it. Buy a clock-capacitor-free unit, budget for a good component cable or HDMI adapter, and look for the Controller S rather than the Duke unless you want the full 2001 experience. If you only want to replay Halo, KOTOR or Ninja Gaiden, the backward-compatible versions on a modern Xbox are the easier route.

Want the rest of the family tree? Continue with the Xbox 360, the Xbox One and today’s Xbox Series X, or look ahead to Project Helix, the next Xbox.

Quick facts: the first Xbox weighed about 3.9 kg, which made it heavier than the PS2 and GameCube. Each controller cable had a breakaway connector partway along it, so tripping over a cord unplugged the cable instead of pulling the console off the shelf. Its glowing green startup screen and boot sound are still referenced in Xbox anniversary events today.