The original Xbox turns 24 years old: this is how it all started

The first Microsoft console celebrates its anniversary today after changing the history of video games forever.

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It’s been 24 years since Microsoft took a step that few could have imagined: competing in the console market with a machine that heavily invested in power, online gaming, and ideas that would shape the future of the industry. That proposal arrived in November 2001 with an ambitious goal: to demonstrate that there was room for a new brand willing to innovate.

What started as a risky project ultimately became the beginning of an identity that is now recognized worldwide. Its initial catalog, the system’s philosophy, and its understanding of entertainment marked a before and after for millions of players.

The legacy of the original Xbox lives on: 24 years later

The 2001 model was responsible for introducing concepts that we now take for granted: Xbox Live, internal hard drives, stable online multiplayer, and games that became icons of an entire generation. Its design, its commitment to physical DVD format, and its power marked a new era for modern gaming.

Twenty-four years later, the console that started it all is still fondly remembered for its catalog, personality, and for laying the foundations of what we know today as the Xbox family. A special anniversary for those who enjoyed it from day one and for all who grew up with it.