Microsoft developed the original Xbox console, which launched in North America on November 15, 2001.
The Xbox was Microsoft’s first dedicated video-game console. Its hardware used a customized Intel Pentium III processor and an internal hard disk, features that distinguished it from many contemporary consoles. Microsoft also built Xbox Live, an online service that launched in 2002 and supported online play and downloadable content.
Halo: Combat Evolved was the platform’s signature launch game. Developed by Bungie, it helped establish the Xbox as a serious competitor to Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s GameCube. The original Xbox later received games such as Fable, Project Gotham Racing, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Microsoft’s console brand continued with the Xbox 360 in 2005. The original Xbox was discontinued in 2006, but its online features, hard-drive design, and first-party investment shaped the company’s long-term position in the games industry.