Microsoft's first game console to include a hard drive was the original Xbox.
Released in 2001, the Xbox was unusual among mainstream consoles because it included a built-in hard disk drive rather than relying primarily on removable memory cards. The drive stored saved games and downloadable content, and some games could use it for features such as custom soundtracks. Xbox Live later made the storage especially useful for online-related content and updates.
Microsoft designed the console partly in response to the PlayStation 2, whose DVD playback and multimedia capabilities were seen as a potential threat to the Windows PC business. Unlike many earlier consoles, the Xbox used relatively conventional PC-derived components, including an Intel Pentium III processor and an Nvidia graphics processor.
The wording can cause a small mix-up: the Xbox was Microsoft's first console with a built-in hard drive, and it was also widely described as the first video-game console with one. Earlier systems had used internal memory or battery-backed save storage, but those were not equivalent to a built-in hard disk.