What was the first Xbox console to include a built-in optical drive for DVD movies?
Answer
Original Xbox
Answer
Original Xbox
The original Xbox was the first Xbox console to include a built-in optical drive for DVD movies.
Released in 2001, Microsoft's first console used a DVD-ROM drive for games and could play DVD-Video discs with the separate Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit. The kit included an infrared receiver and remote control, because DVD playback was not enabled by the console alone.
This detail is distinct from the console's hard drive, which was also built in and helped distinguish the Xbox from many competitors of its era. The original Xbox's optical drive was primarily a game-reading component, while movie playback required the additional accessory.
Later Xbox consoles made DVD movie functionality more integrated. The Xbox 360 also used DVD media, while the Xbox One used Blu-ray discs. The Xbox Series X added a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive, but the digital-only Xbox Series S has no optical drive.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026