Microsoft announced in June 2025 that it was partnering with AMD to produce the next generation of Xbox hardware, which could take on a range of device types including consoles and computers. They designed a system that would use many hardware components in common with PCs, effectively running a version of Windows and DirectX to power the games on the console. The original device was the first video game console offered by an American company after the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996. Microsoft bundled the Xbox One Chat Headset with each console starting from launch in 2013; the headset was permanently wired to an interface module that plugged into the controller’s expansion port and provided microphone mute and volume controls. The module plugged into the controller’s top expansion slot, and the headset plugged into the module; the interface module was equipped with a dial to control volume and a button to mute the microphone.
When Sony Computer Entertainment first announced the PlayStation 2 in 1999, the company had positioned the console as a centerpiece for home entertainment, as it not only would play video games, but also could play audio CDs and video DVDs. Besides games for this new console family, both consoles are fully compatible with all Xbox One games and most hardware, as well as all backward compatible games that were playable on the Xbox One from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox console. The Xbox One competed with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U and Switch as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles. As part of the sixth generation of video game consoles, the Xbox competed with Sony’s PlayStation 2, Sega’s Dreamcast (which stopped American sales before the Xbox went on sale), and Nintendo’s GameCube.
Third generation: Xbox One
Xbox head Phil Spencer said that while they do internally track sales figures, they do not want their developers to be focused on these numbers as to affect their products, and thus have opted not to report further sales of Xbox hardware going forward. As a gesture toward showing a commitment to user privacy, Microsoft decided to allow the console to function without Kinect. The Xbox One was released on November 22, 2013, in North America, as the successor to the Xbox 360. It featured a case style similar to the upcoming Xbox One, and eliminated one USB port and the S/PDIF, YPbPr component and S-video connections, but otherwise shared the same specifications as the Xbox 360 S. A cheaper Xbox 360 S unit, removing the 250 GB drive while adding 4 GB of internal storage, was released later in 2010; the unit allowed users to hook up an external storage solution or purchase a 250 GB internal add-on. The Xbox 360 S (typically considered as “Slim”), launched in 2010, featured the same core hardware but with a redesigned, slimmer form factor with a smaller-sized 250 GB hard drive.
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During the Xbox Showcase presentation in June 2025, Microsoft announced the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, as well as a ROG Xbox Ally X version, that will use Windows and play thousands of Xbox games, as well as compatibility with Steam and other launchers. At E3 2017, Microsoft unveiled Xbox One X, a high-end model with improved hardware designed to facilitate the playing of games at 4K resolution. After an overwhelmingly negative response from critics and consumers (who also showed concerns that the system could prevent or hinder the resale of used games), Microsoft announced that these restrictions would be dropped. The original Xbox was released in North America on November 15, 2001, in Japan on February 22, 2002, and in Australia and Europe on March 14, 2002, marking Microsoft’s debut in the gaming console market.
Xbox 360 controller
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as hotforex broker applications (video games), the streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox network and Xbox Game Pass. Both are considered members of the ninth generation of video game consoles alongside the PlayStation 5, also released that month. The Xbox 360 was released as the successor of the original Xbox in November 2005, competing with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
Microsoft Xbox Series X 1 TB
- It featured a case style similar to the upcoming Xbox One, and eliminated one USB port and the S/PDIF, YPbPr component and S-video connections, but otherwise shared the same specifications as the Xbox 360 S.
- The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
- The Xbox button still brings up the mini-guide as of recent dashboard versions, though in earlier iterations it brought up the main dashboard menu while leaving the game uninterrupted.
- In 2022, Microsoft expanded its gaming business and reorganized Xbox to become part of its newly formed Microsoft Gaming division.
Microsoft also released Kinect, a motion control system for the Xbox 360 which uses an advanced sensor system. The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Built around a 733 MHz 32-bit Intel Pentium III CPU and a 233 MHz Nvidia GeForce 3-based NV2A GPU with 64 MB of memory, the Xbox was the first console offered by an American company after the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996.
Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming
The brand was first introduced in the United States in November 2001, with the launch of the original Xbox console. Explore 50+ Semrush tools and reports to find the best solution to your digital marketing challenges I know boyfriendtv, but their search engine and video categorization is just a mess.
- The right face of the controller features four digital action buttons; a green “A” button, red “B” button, blue “X” button and yellow “Y” button.
- The service enables players to report messages, Gamertags, photos, and any other toxic content on its platform.
- The initial revision of the Xbox One Wireless Controller (Model 1537) also included a 2.5mm monaural jack compatible with standard cellular phone headsets.
- As part of the sixth generation of video game consoles, the Xbox competed with Sony’s PlayStation 2, Sega’s Dreamcast (which stopped American sales before the Xbox went on sale), and Nintendo’s GameCube.
Controllers
Kinect (stylized as KINECT) is a motion sensing input device by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game console and Windows PCs. To help transition consumers, Microsoft introduced its Smart Delivery system which most of its first-party games and several third-party games will use to offer free updates to Xbox One versions of games to the Xbox Series X/S version over the first few years of the consoles’ launch. The integrated Xbox Live service launched in November 2002 allowed players to play games online with a broadband connection.
The Communicator, which enabled in-game voice chat, consisted of a wired headset and an interface module. Purchase options for the sensor peripheral include a bundle with the game Kinect Adventures and console bundles with either a 4 GB or 250 GB Xbox 360 console and Kinect Adventures. The Xbox button still brings up the mini-guide as of recent dashboard versions, though in earlier iterations it brought up the main dashboard menu while leaving the game uninterrupted.
It comprises an online virtual market, the Xbox Games Store, which allows the purchase and download of games and various forms of multimedia. Microsoft has used the razor and blades model to sell the family of Xbox consoles, selling the console at or below the price of its manufacturing costs, while earning revenue from licensing fees it collects from publishers, developers and from its services offered to players. Most games released on the original Xbox are backwards compatible and can be played directly on its successor, Xbox 360.
Amid industry rumors that Microsoft was abandoning hardware in favor of game development that emerged around Google October 2025, Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed they had already started development work for the next console. The fourth line of Xbox consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S, were released in November 2020. A corresponding Xbox Stereo Headset, which omits the wireless connections in favor of a standard 3.5mm plug and also omits the game/chat mix control dial, was introduced in August 2021 with a reduced price. Prior headsets released with the Xbox and Xbox 360 were limited to voice chat only. The Adapter connected to the controller’s expansion port and headset jack, and the Headset connected to the Adapter through a 3.5mm plug. In addition, Microsoft released the Xbox One Stereo Headset in early March 2014, bundled with a Stereo Headset Adapter, which allowed players to listen to in-game audio blended with chat simultaneously.
The “Guide” button is labelled with the Xbox logo, and is used to turn on the console/controller and to access the guide menu. In the center of the controller face are digital “Start”, “Back” and “Guide” buttons. The right face of the controller features four digital action buttons; a green “A” button, red “B” button, blue “X” button and yellow “Y” button. A standard Xbox 360 controller features eleven digital buttons, two analog triggers, two analog sticks and a digital D-pad.
Additional information on the Xbox One Kinect was released on June 6, 2013, including information on how to turn off the “always on” feature. Microsoft released Kinect software development kit for Windows 7 on June 16, 2011. The project is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360’s audience beyond its typical gamer base. The controller is not limited to just Xbox and Windows platforms but also is compatible with the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Besides being physically larger than typical controllers, it includes additional ports to allow other devices to be connected and mapped to other controller functions.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a special controller designed for accessibility features for players. The controller is also promised to be cross compatible with certain PC’s and mobile devices. It is also surrounded by the “ring of light”, which indicates the controller number, as well as flashing when connecting and to provide notifications. The lower right houses the right analog stick, in the lower left is a digital D-pad and on the left face is the left analog stick. Released in 2005, the Xbox 360 controller for the Xbox 360 succeeded its predecessor.
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The initial revision of the Xbox One Wireless Controller (Model 1537) also included a 2.5mm monaural jack compatible with standard cellular phone headsets. The headset socket on the module was a standard 2.5mm TRS audio jack with monaural input and output, compatible with cellular phone headsets. Furthermore, controversies surround Microsoft’s intentional tying of the sensor with the Xbox One console despite the initial requirements for the sensor being plugged in at all times having been revised since its initial announcement.
The Xbox One console has a revised controller with forty improvements over the 360’s controller. The left and right “shoulders” each feature a digital shoulder button, or “bumper”, and an analog trigger. Both analog sticks can also be “clicked in” to activate a digital button beneath. The Xbox controller features two analog sticks, a pressure-sensitive directional pad, two analog triggers, a Back button, a Start button, two accessory slots and six 8-bit analog action buttons (A/Green, B/Red, X/Blue, Y/Yellow, and Black and White buttons).
Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service from Microsoft for use with the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows 10 and Windows 11. The service enables players to report messages, Gamertags, photos, and any other toxic content on its platform. Games using the Xbox and Xbox Live brands have also been released for Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS devices. He further said that Microsoft plans to publicly discuss its next generation of hardware in late 2024.needs update The Xbox Series S is a digital-only unit with less graphic processing power, but can still render at a nominal 1440p resolution at 60 frames per second with support for 4K upscaling.
Released in 2001, the Xbox control pad was the first controller made for the original Xbox. Since 2002, the Dashboard has been integrated with the Xbox network which provides online functionality and storefront options. In March 2022, a Japanese-language version of the site was published as part of Microsoft’s focus on the Japanese gaming market.