
2001
AU Release
14 March 2002
AU Launch Price
$499 AUD
~$930 today
Units Sold
24M
Processor
Custom Intel Pentium III @ 733 MHz
Memory
64 MB RAM
Storage
8 GB HDD (built-in)
Media
DVD-ROM
Global lifetime sales
Microsoft entering the console market in 2001 was one of the most significant disruptions in gaming history. The original Xbox was essentially a PC in a black box — it used standard Intel and NVIDIA hardware, ran a modified Windows kernel, and even included a standard hard drive, a first for consoles. Xbox Live, launched in 2002, permanently transformed online gaming — where Sony's online features were optional and fragmented, Xbox Live created a unified, paid service with voice chat, friends lists, and automatic updates that set the standard the entire industry eventually followed. Halo: Combat Evolved was not just a system-seller — it redefined the first-person shooter genre on consoles, proving that a complex, story-driven shooter could work perfectly with a controller. The infamously large 'Duke' controller became a cultural touchstone, and a revised smaller version was released in response to feedback. Microsoft lost money on every unit sold but had launched one of gaming's great dynasties.
Microsoft lost an estimated US$4 billion on the original Xbox due to hardware subsidies — each console was sold at a significant loss to gain market share, a strategy that paid off with the Xbox 360's dominance
The original Xbox Duke controller was so large that it was recalled and replaced with a smaller 'Controller S' design — the Duke was later revived as a limited-edition replica in 2018 due to nostalgic demand
Halo: Combat Evolved sold over 5 million copies and generated more revenue than the entire Xbox hardware line for its first year — without Bungie's shooter, Microsoft's gaming ambitions may never have succeeded
Browse Xbox titles available for trade on Greatest GOAT Australia — stop paying EB Games prices.
Browse Xbox GamesFable
3M copies sold
GameCube
2001 · 22M sold