History of Xbox in Timeline
Xbox is a video gaming brand owned by Microsoft Gaming. It encompasses home video game consoles, applications, the Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service, and online services like the Xbox network and Xbox Game Pass. It has released four main console lines. The brand is a major player in the gaming industry.
1920: Various monitor resolutions available
The monitor resolution of 1920 is available via VGA and HDMI/DVI.
1996: Atari Jaguar stops sales
In 1996, the Atari Jaguar stopped sales, and the Xbox was the first console offered by an American company since then.
1999: Sony announces the Playstation 2
In 1999, Sony Computer Entertainment announced the PlayStation 2, positioning it as a centerpiece for home entertainment capable of playing video games, audio CDs, and video DVDs.
2000: Xbox operating system based on Windows 2000
In 2000, the operating systems for the original Xbox and Xbox 360 were based on the Windows 2000 operating system.
November 15, 2001: Xbox released in North America
On November 15, 2001, the original Xbox was released in North America, marking Microsoft's entry into the gaming console market and competing with PlayStation 2, Dreamcast and GameCube.
November 2001: Original Xbox console launch in the United States
In November 2001, the original Xbox console was launched in the United States, marking the introduction of the Xbox brand.
2001: Release of the Original Xbox Controller
In 2001, the original Xbox controller was released. It featured 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. The original Xbox controller (nicknamed the "Fatty" and later the "Duke") was the controller initially bundled with Xbox systems for all territories except Japan, which received a more compact controller called the Controller S. The Controller S was later made the standard included controller in all territories.
February 22, 2002: Xbox released in Japan
On February 22, 2002, the original Xbox was released in Japan.
March 14, 2002: Xbox released in Australia and Europe
On March 14, 2002, the original Xbox was released in Australia and Europe.
November 15, 2002: Online gaming on Xbox starts
Online gaming on the Xbox first started worldwide on November 15, 2002, with the launch of Xbox Live.
November 2002: Xbox Live service launched
In November 2002, the integrated Xbox Live service was launched, enabling players to play games online with a broadband connection.
2002: Xbox Dashboard integrated with Xbox network
In 2002, the Xbox Dashboard was integrated with the Xbox network, providing online functionality and storefront options to users.
2002: Xbox Communicator Headset Launched
In 2002, when the Xbox Live online service was launched, the Xbox Communicator headset was included with the Live Starter Kit. The headset enabled in-game voice chat.
November 2004: Halo 2 release
In November 2004, Halo 2 was released and became the best-selling Xbox video game, also becoming the most popular online game for the original Xbox system.
May 12, 2005: Xbox 360 unveiled on MTV
On May 12, 2005, the Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV.
November 2005: Xbox 360 Wireless Headset Released
In November 2005, Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset, a first-party single-ear headset accessory designed for and released with the Xbox 360 console.
November 2005: Xbox 360 released
In November 2005, the Xbox 360 was released as the successor to the original Xbox.
2005: Release of Xbox 360
In 2005, Microsoft released their second console, the Xbox 360.
2005: Release of the Xbox 360 Controller
In 2005, the Xbox 360 controller was released as the successor to its predecessor. The standard Xbox 360 controller features eleven digital buttons, two analog triggers, two analog sticks and a digital D-pad.
May 2006: Original Xbox sales reach over 24 million units
By May 2006, the original Xbox had reached over 24 million units sold.
September 2007: Halo 3 Xbox 360 Wireless Headset Special Edition Released
In September 2007, a special edition of the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset was released with colors themed for Halo 3 (green/orange).
2009: Microsoft shuts down Gamerscore
In early 2009, Microsoft shut down Gamerscore, before launching Xbox Wire in 2013.
September 2010: Halo: Reach Xbox 360 Wireless Headset Special Edition Released
In September 2010, a special edition of the wireless headset was released with colors themed for Halo: Reach (silver).
November 4, 2010: Kinect Launched in North America
On November 4, 2010, Kinect was launched in North America. Purchase options for the sensor peripheral included a bundle with the game Kinect Adventures and console bundles with either a 4 GB or 250 GB Xbox 360 console and Kinect Adventures.
November 10, 2010: Kinect Launched in Europe
On November 10, 2010, Kinect was launched in Europe.
November 18, 2010: Kinect Launched in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore
On November 18, 2010, Kinect was launched in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
November 20, 2010: Kinect Launched in Japan
On November 20, 2010, Kinect was launched in Japan.
2010: Updated Xbox 360 Live Communicator Headset Released
In 2010, an updated Xbox 360 Headset was released with black cosmetics, bundled with the Xbox 360 S. For the revised wired headset, the mute/volume controls were moved to a position inline along the cable.
2010: Xbox 360 S (Slim) launched
In 2010, the Xbox 360 S (Slim) was launched, featuring a redesigned, slimmer form factor with a smaller-sized 250 GB hard drive and other enhancements.
June 16, 2011: Kinect SDK for Windows 7 Released
On June 16, 2011, Microsoft released the Kinect software development kit (SDK) for Windows 7. This SDK allowed developers to write Kinecting apps in C++/CLI, C#, or Visual Basic .NET.
2011: Xbox 360 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth Released
In 2011, the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth was released, which could be used with the console (using the Xbox wireless protocol) or a phone (using Bluetooth).
January 2012: Kinect sales numbers
In January 2012, 24 million units of the Kinect sensor had been shipped.
February 1, 2012: Kinect for Windows Release
On February 1, 2012, a version of Kinect for Windows was released.
October 26, 2012: Xbox app released
On October 26, 2012, coinciding with the release of Windows 8, the Xbox app was released, enabling interactive entertainment and allowing mobile devices to serve as second screens and remote controllers.
May 2013: Xbox Wire launched
In May 2013, Microsoft launched Xbox Wire, Xbox's news blog, in preparation for the announcement of the Xbox One.
May 21, 2013: Xbox One announced
On May 21, 2013, the Xbox One was announced, emphasizing internet-based features like recording and streaming gameplay, and integration with set-top boxes for watching TV through the console.
June 6, 2013: Xbox One Kinect "always on" feature Information Released
On June 6, 2013, additional information on the Xbox One Kinect was released, including information on how to turn off the "always on" feature.
November 2013: Xbox One released
In November 2013, the Xbox One was released, marking the launch of Microsoft's third console. It has sold 58 million units.
November 22, 2013: Xbox One released in North America
On November 22, 2013, the Xbox One was released in North America as the successor to the Xbox 360.
2013: Xbox 360 E released
In 2013, the Xbox 360 E, a major revision of the Xbox 360, was released, featuring a case style similar to the upcoming Xbox One.
2013: Xbox One Chat Headset Bundled with Console
Starting from launch in 2013, Microsoft bundled the Xbox One Chat Headset with each console. The headset was permanently wired to an interface module that plugged into the controller's expansion port and provided microphone mute and volume controls.
March 2014: Xbox One Stereo Headset Released
In early March 2014, Microsoft released the Xbox One Stereo Headset, bundled with a Stereo Headset Adapter, which allowed players to listen to in-game audio blended with chat simultaneously.
March 2014: Phil Spencer becomes head of Xbox
In late March 2014, Phil Spencer succeeded Marc Whitten as the head of Xbox.
June 2014: Xbox 360 sales reach 84 million units worldwide
As of June 2014, 84 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide.
November 2014: Microsoft stops releasing Xbox One sales numbers
Since November 2014, Microsoft has stopped releasing sales numbers for the Xbox One line.
June 2015: Backward compatibility added to Xbox One
In June 2015, a year-and-a-half after its launch, backward compatibility with Xbox 360 titles was added to Xbox One.
October 2015: Xbox 360 sales reach 86 million units
As of October 2015, the Xbox 360 had sold 86 million units.
September 2016: Xbox FanFest in Sydney
In September 2016, Microsoft held an Xbox FanFest in Sydney.
2016: White-Colored Special Edition of Xbox One Stereo Headset Released
In fall 2016, a white-colored special edition of the Xbox One Stereo Headset was released.
June 1, 2017: Xbox Game Pass launched
On June 1, 2017, Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service from Microsoft, was launched, granting users access to a catalog of games for a single monthly price.
2017: Xbox One X unveiled
In 2017, Microsoft unveiled Xbox One X, a high-end model with improved hardware designed to facilitate playing games at 4K resolution.
June 2019: Microsoft renames Microsoft Studios to Xbox Game Studios
In June 2019, Microsoft renamed Microsoft Studios to Xbox Game Studios, signaling a shift towards branding "Xbox" as a general video game brand beyond console hardware.
July 2019: Xbox network has over 65 million users worldwide
As of July 2019, the Xbox network (formerly known as Xbox Live) has over 65 million users worldwide.
2019: Content filtering released to stop toxicity in online gaming
In 2019, Microsoft released content filtering to stop toxicity in online gaming, enabling players to report messages, Gamertags, photos, and other toxic content.
May 2020: Xbox App for Parental Control
In May 2020, Xbox presented a preview version of an app for parental control. The app allows parents and guardians to set daily limits for their children's playing time, provides weekly activity reports, filters out age-restricted games, and places limits on online communication.
November 10, 2020: Xbox Series X and Series S launched
On November 10, 2020, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were launched, marking the fourth generation of Xbox models.
November 2020: Xbox Series X and Series S released
In November 2020, the Xbox Series X and Series S, the fourth line of Xbox consoles, were released.
February 2021: Xbox Wireless Headset Introduced
In February 2021, a new Xbox Wireless Headset was introduced, targeted for use on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows computers.
August 2021: Xbox Stereo Headset Introduced
In August 2021, a corresponding Xbox Stereo Headset was introduced with a reduced price. It omits the wireless connections in favor of a standard 3.5mm plug and also omits the game/chat mix control dial.
November 15, 2021: Xbox 20th Anniversary Celebration
On November 15, 2021, Microsoft held a 20th anniversary celebration stream for the Xbox. During it, they announced that a documentary behind the history of the Xbox, titled Power On: The Story of Xbox.
December 13, 2021: Release of "Power On: The Story of Xbox" Documentary
On December 13, 2021, the documentary Power On: The Story of Xbox was released in six parts.
March 2022: Japanese-language version of Xbox Wire published
In March 2022, a Japanese-language version of Xbox Wire was published as part of Microsoft's focus on the Japanese gaming market.
2022: Xbox reorganized as part of Microsoft Gaming division
In 2022, Microsoft expanded its gaming business and reorganized Xbox to become part of its newly formed Microsoft Gaming division.
July 2023: Xbox One line has sold over 58 million units
In July 2023, Microsoft revealed that the Xbox One line has sold over 58 million units.
February 2024: Microsoft remains committed to the Xbox console
In February 2024, amid rumors of dropping the Xbox hardware line, Phil Spencer stated that Microsoft remains committed to the Xbox console, with first-party studios supporting day-one releases on the Xbox.
June 2025: Asus ROG Xbox Ally announced
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.
June 2025: Microsoft partners with AMD for next-gen Xbox hardware
In June 2025, Microsoft announced a partnership with AMD to produce the next generation of Xbox hardware.
October 2025: Development work for next Xbox console confirmed
Around October 2025, amid industry rumors of Microsoft abandoning hardware, Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed that development work had already started for the next console.
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