Microsoft released the first Xbox console in 2001. Its initial launch took place in North America on November 15, marking Microsoft's entry into the home-console market.
The Xbox was part of the sixth generation of video game consoles and competed mainly with Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo's GameCube, and Sega's Dreamcast. Microsoft built it around PC-style hardware, including a 733 MHz Intel Pentium III processor, an Nvidia graphics processor, and a built-in hard drive. That hard drive was unusual for a major console at the time and helped distinguish the Xbox from its rivals.
The console launched with games such as Halo: Combat Evolved, Project Gotham Racing, and Dead or Alive 3. Japan received the Xbox in February 2002, followed by Europe and Australia in March 2002, which explains why some sources mention 2002. The Xbox 360 replaced it in 2005, but the original console's first release year remains 2001.