Microsoft launched the Xbox video-game console in 2001.
The original Xbox was Microsoft’s first dedicated video-game console. It was released in North America on November 15, 2001, followed by launches in Japan and Europe in 2002. Microsoft entered a market dominated by Sony’s PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s GameCube, and Sega’s Dreamcast.
The Xbox introduced several notable features, including a built-in hard disk and an Ethernet port. Its launch title Halo: Combat Evolved became closely associated with the system and helped establish the Xbox brand.
The Xbox is sometimes confused with Xbox Live, Microsoft’s online gaming service. Xbox Live launched in 2002, after the console itself. Microsoft later released the Xbox 360 in 2005, making the original system the first generation of the Xbox family.