Soapbox: Xbox Should Embrace Its Past As Microsoft Evolves The Brand

It's no secret, Xbox is changing. After a wild 2024 that firmly pushed Xbox towards full multiplatform territory, we're all slowly getting used to Microsoft's new vision for the brand. In theory, I don't take too much issue with change — it's inevitable some day, in some form — but one thing I'd love to see more moving forward is frequent glances in the rear-view mirror. Xbox will be 25 years old next year, and I think Microsoft needs to start celebrating that heritage a whole lot more.

For instance, this week at Pure Xbox we put together a bit of a predictions article for what we expect to see from Microsoft in 2025, and the idea of the team putting out a 'Mini' OG Xbox console was floated about - but we just couldn't commit to it as an actual prediction. We'd love to see this sort of thing — both PlayStation and Nintendo have done them in recent years — but Xbox just doesn't seem too bothered with that sort of thing right now. The brand feels a million miles away from those fantastic 20th anniversary celebrations back in 2021 (even if we might just have to be patient for the next big milestone) - and here's hoping the team does something like this for the 25th anniversary next year. We'd love to see a mini Xbox pre-loaded with some of the system's best games!

There's other opportunities out there for Team Green too. Last year, Sony dropped a huge accessory collection for PlayStation's 30th anniversary - complete with console bundles, pretty much every controller type, PS5 themes and more. Again, we got something similar with Xbox's 20th anniversary, but nowhere near as in-depth. Next time around, let's see Xbox go all out with its nostalgic celebrations on a much bigger scale, please? The seminal Xbox 360 is 20 years old this year, if Microsoft fancies throwing a party for that console in November...

It's not all about retro consoles and throwback accessories though - games are the most important bit, right? What about a new Rare Replay type collection with some big OG Xbox titles? What about that much-rumoured Marcus Fenix Collection for Gears of War as the game approaches 20 years of age? What about simply making more OG Xbox games backwards compatible - even some of Microsoft's biggest first-party titles like Halo don't work on modern consoles!

To be honest, though, Xbox embracing its past isn't really about anything specific as much as it is about looking after your loyal fanbase and rewarding it every now and then. Xbox fans have had their fair share of silliness to deal with over the years, and with a future that looks very different to what we're all used to, I'd like to see a little bit more love thrown our way in the next few years. It's okay to push forward, that's a reality, but it's also important to remember the past. There's a reason Xbox still has millions of fans out there to this day.

Do you think Xbox should to more to celebrate its history? Talk to us about this topic down below.