The Xbox was the first major home video-game console to include a built-in hard disk drive for game storage.
Microsoft launched the original Xbox in North America on November 15, 2001. Every console included an internal 8 GB hard drive, although only part of that capacity was available to players because the system software used some space. The drive could store saved games and also supported downloadable content and music-ripping features.
This feature distinguished the Xbox from contemporary cartridge- and disc-based systems. The PlayStation 2 used memory cards for ordinary game saves, while the Nintendo GameCube used removable memory cards. The Xbox’s hard drive also helped Microsoft build Xbox Live functionality, which launched in 2002.
The original Xbox was not the first computer or game-related device to use a hard disk. Its historical distinction concerns a mainstream home console including one as standard equipment. Later consoles expanded the idea with larger drives, installations, patches, and digital downloads.