Which Xbox 360 accessory supported HD DVD movie playback?

The Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive supported HD DVD movie playback.

Microsoft released the external Xbox 360 HD DVD Player in November 2006. It connected to an Xbox 360 through USB and allowed the console to play HD DVD films, while the Xbox 360 itself continued using DVD discs for games. The drive did not make HD DVD the console’s game format.

HD DVD was one of two competing high-definition optical-disc standards. Blu-ray, supported by Sony and used in PlayStation 3, was the rival format. After studios and retailers increasingly backed Blu-ray, Toshiba announced in February 2008 that it would discontinue HD DVD. Microsoft then stopped producing its Xbox 360 HD DVD accessory.

The accessory is sometimes mistaken for an internal Xbox 360 component or a game-disc upgrade. It was an external movie drive, and Xbox 360 games remained on standard DVDs. Its short commercial life makes it an important example of a discontinued format war in Xbox history.