The original Xbox got me excited about gaming again. I was still gaming, but it had slowed down after having kids. As they got older and my free time started to increase, playing Pro Evo on Xbox Live on the original Xbox started the itch to get back into gaming properly.
The 360 is where my love of gaming exploded again: FIFA and Call of Duty, Tesco deals that got you games for £25 in launch week, weird experimental games, and achievements. Xbox felt like it was about gaming, not just what was right for the business. It got games onto Xbox that might not be massive. Pure gaming.
Then there was the Xbox One midnight launch with my son, and Series X has just continued along.
Xbox turns 25 on 15 November 2026. Here are the dates that got it there, from the original console to the X25 Limited Edition.
Everything announced for Xbox’s 25th anniversary
2001: the original Xbox
The original Xbox went on sale in North America on 15 November 2001, priced at $299. It had a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, and 19 games were available in launch week.
One of the five headline launch games was Halo: Combat Evolved, developed by Bungie.
2002: Europe and Xbox Live
Xbox launched in Europe on 14 March 2002, across 16 countries including the UK, where it cost £299. Australia launched the same day.
Xbox Live followed on 15 November 2002 in the US and Canada, exactly a year after the console. The Starter Kit cost $49.99 and included a one-year subscription and the Xbox Communicator headset, with nine Xbox Live games available at launch.
2004: Halo 2
Halo 2 released in the US on 9 November 2004, with launch events running from 9 to 11 November in cities around the world, including London. It used Xbox Live for online multiplayer.
2005: Xbox 360
Xbox 360 launched in North America on 22 November 2005, in Europe on 2 December 2005 and in Japan on 10 December 2005.
2006: Gears of War
Gears of War, developed by Epic Games for Xbox 360, began reaching select shops on 7 November 2006.
2010: Kinect
Kinect for Xbox 360 launched in North America on 4 November 2010 and in Europe on 10 November 2010. It sold one million units in its first 10 days.
2013: Xbox One
Xbox One launched on 22 November 2013 in 13 markets, including the UK, Ireland and the US.
2015: backward compatibility on Xbox One
Xbox 360 backward compatibility arrived on Xbox One on 12 November 2015, as part of the New Xbox One Experience update. It launched with 104 Xbox 360 games.
2017: Xbox Game Pass and Xbox One X
Xbox Game Pass launched on 1 June 2017 with more than 100 games, after early access for Xbox Live Gold members from 24 May.
Xbox One X followed on 7 November 2017 in 35 markets, at $499 and £449.
2020: Xbox Series X|S
Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launched together on 10 November 2020.
2026: 25 years of Xbox
Xbox’s 25th anniversary is on 15 November 2026. The Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition, a numbered console in translucent OG Green that comes with Halo: Campaign Evolved, launches on 13 November. The final Xbox FanFest of the year takes place in Seattle, at the Museum of Pop Culture, on 12 November.
Players who sign in to Xbox also get an Xbox 25th Anniversary profile badge, available until the end of 2026.
