
It's scary to think that we've now just entered the 24th year of Xbox's existence, but it's true - the original console first launched all the way back in November of 2001. It won't be long until it's been around for a quarter of a century!
Everyone's got a different starting point though, of course. Some of us may have been there since day one, while others may only just have picked up their first Xbox console over the past couple of years. Personally, it wasn't until the Xbox 360 generation that I became a fan, and the Xbox One era solidified that (as bizarre as that might sound to some!).
The original Xbox was a great first console if you were lucky enough to start that early - Halo and Xbox Live were game changers that sparked off everything we've seen since. Then, it was the Xbox 360 era that arguably proved most popular overall thanks to the incredible games we saw during that generation - even despite the Red Ring of Death saga.
Over the past decade-or-so, Microsoft may have stumbled here and there (the Xbox One's launch being the obvious low point), but there have still been so many reasons for people to introduce themselves to the world of Xbox - amazing games, well-designed consoles, Xbox Game Pass, backwards compatibility, Xbox Cloud Gaming and so much more!
So, when did you first get introduced to the world of Xbox? We want to hear from you in the comments below!
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As soon as I saw Halo before the Xbox released, I knew I wanted an Xbox - and have owned every Xbox since.
I’m pretty sure it was Christmas 2005. I got a second hand Xbox (the original one) from CEX as my main present that year. Used that for many years as my main gaming device and then switched to PC gaming in 2008 when I got my first laptop. Then in March 2021 I got a Series S after heavy persuasion of my brother to play multiplayer games together, but quickly enjoyed the TV living gaming experience enough to upgrade to Series X just a few months later in May.
Mid 2002, I got it for the Buffy game and got Halo CE free with it wgich I knew nothing about it and it blew me away.
My cousin got the original Xbox I had a PS2 and when I seen how much better the games looked I had to get one haven't looked back since 🧎
November of 2020. Got a Series X at launch and loved it. Then I let the online doom mongerers make me belive Xbox is a dying console so I sold it. Got another one only last month and it’s been my favourite console ever since (got a Switch and PS5, but barely use them).
By my friend and his brothers having an original xbox back in 2002, so i got one myself the following year and then bought a 360 in 2005 and every xbox since at launch
I got the original Xbox in 2002 I think it was and I've owned all Xbox consoles since then.
Tesco. OG Xbox. Halo 1. I was hooked since then.
I didn't know anyone with an OG Xbox, it just wasn't on my radar. But I had a PS2 and was waiting for and saving for a PS3 when I went round to my mates and saw Gears of War, it was so far beyond anything I had ever seen, I instantly went out and spent my PS3 money on an Xbox 360 the very next day.
It was the UK release date of the 360 Elite.
First game was Bioshock.
I remember the Mrs being amazed at the fire on water graphics at the start.
I did have an original Xbox at the time but I didn't really get into the Xbox until the launch of the x360. For me the price was the motivation to get a x360 over the ps3. But I personally found after MS introduced the Kinect/Metro design to the x360 it broke the x360 and made the os much more difficult to use.
Visited a friend who had the OG XBox back in the day and he showed me a few games. I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed, and happily continued being a PS and Nintendo guy.
April of last year, I decided to get a series X and check out the Halo series and a few others, along with some BC improved games. Probably would have sold the console after that, but I discovered Forza Horizon 4 and 5, and that got me to stay.
Of course, now that 5 (and likely 6) are coming to PS…well, I’ll still keep my series X. I picked up a decent library of games for it, though my PS consoles will always have pride of place!
I got one summer 2002, I'd not long since got myself a weekend job and saved up
I was introduced to Xbox by a friend who had an original Xbox. At the time I had a PS2 and GameCube so I couldn't afford another console so my friend and I would trade off who's house we'd go to on our days off. My house we would play the likes of Soul Calibur 2 on GameCube, due to Link being in it and Tekken 4 on PS2 and at his house it would be the likes of Halo.
I actually didn't own an Xbox till the 360 Era due to Sony's ridiculous pricing on the PS3. So I got a 360 to play games like GTA IV.
The original Xbox was practically inexistent here, so the first Xbox I saw was the 360 at a friend's house around 2011.
It was cool but I didn't saw anything to move from Playstation.
Then I moved to PS4 and was incredibly dissapointed both in games and console so when a new friend showed me Game Pass I immediately jumped to an Xbox Series which was incredibly cheaper here.
Been incredibly happy since then.
i had sega mega drive from 2004 to 2006
then i bought a Desktop PC in 2008
I was a PC Gamer till last summer
in may(2024) i got a XSX and im loving it .
The 360-era, but not upon release. I wanna say it was 2010-2011. Me and my family were usually Nintendo and PlayStation gamers, but my dad purchased a 360 for my mom to play, but she didn’t really use it and let me try it. I can’t remember all of the games I played on there, I think most of it was game demos, but I’m sure I played full games on it, but it was traded in for a Wii since we all stopped using the 360 and lost interest. Then for the rest of the decade I went back to playing Nintendo and PlayStation consoles, namely the Switch and PS4.
Fast forward to 2022, I really wanted an Xbox to play more Rare games after trying a few of their games on Switch via NSO, and I got gifted an Xbox Series S with a Game Pass Ultimate sub for Christmas and loved it. The Xbox is what I mainly use for gaming nowadays (also because our older consoles were given back to my sister) and I really think the Series S is one of the best consoles I’ve ever played. Really happy to have it, and I’ll still be using it for a long time!
I had the OG Xbox and all i can remember is playing Splinter Cell, i had some more games but i cant remember what they were, it was such a short gen for Xbox. And then moved on to the Xbox360 which quickly became the CoD machine for me and everyone i knew. Ah, the memories 😊 Ended up owning two Xbox 360s lol with a whole lot of games
Fun fact: I’ve owned a Xbox every generation, except this one, but have never played a Halo or Gears game. Maybe like a hour total at a friends house once (on the OG)
2002, my parents got me an original Xbox for Christmas. Played Blinx, Sega GT and couldn't believe how much better than my PS1 it looked.
@abirazor you can say console wise you upgraded from Megadrive to Series X when people ask 😁
Been with xbox since day 1.
I sold my Dreamcast after the impending hype for the Xbox. I saved liked mad and put down a preorder at toysrus. The official magazine didn’t help with the prehype with many games shown actually not being released.
I went to the midnight launch and queued up which is unheard of these days but it was an amazing evening with everyone excited. I bought the Xbox with halo and project Gotham racing and once I got home, me and my mate played Halo until we fell asleep. The original Xbox died with a hdd failure and had to be sent back but it was returned and repaired for free by Microsoft.
I have had every Xbox since and never had a rrod on my 360.
Around may 2002. I had gotten fed up with my PS2 (never was a big fan of the PS2 - the PSOne on the other hand, wow!).
I bought Halo along with the console and thought it was a really, really good FPS. Now the OG Xbox was never one of my favorite consoles, but looking back there were quite few really good experiences; Halo, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (console exclusive), Deus Ex: Invisible War (console exclusive), Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Indiana Jones: The Emperor's Tomb, Black, Morrowind and probably a few others.
These days I'm 100% a handheld player and love my Switch Lite and my 3DS and have a Vita and Steam Deck too (plus a few others)
Edit: Outrun and Project Zero II were really good too. And the Splinter Cell games as well.
Rare Replay introduced me to Xbox in 2015. I had played on Xbox 360 before, but it wasn't mine.
@shgamer I would love the first three Project Zero/Fatal Frame to be remastered like IV and V!
Got it in around mid 2002. Remember playing Halo on a 14" TV I had in my room in. Was a bit slower getting a 360 until I saw Gears of War and Bioshock at friend's and they had the Elite coming out so picked that up in 2007 with Bioshock.
I had PS2 and GameCube during that generation but a friend had an Xbox, connected to his top of the line tv with surround sound. Halo was very impressive and it was clear to see its power over the PS2 in the graphics department. However, it didn’t make me want one at the time. I didn’t actually jump on the Xbox bandwagon until about 8 years later, with the 360 just as the One was about to be released. Been with them since and I am lucky enough to own all three consoles of the current Gen and my Xbox with its backward compatibility has by far the largest library.
@Lrapsody yesss
)))))
First played Halo at my friends place doing lan multiplayer with a bunch of friends and fell in love with the game. Begged my parents for Xbox that holiday and got it along with Halo and MGS2 Substance.
2008 when I was in the Navy. I had just gotten to a new duty station in Sicily and hadn't received any of my household goods yet. I bought an Xbox 360 on base and Lost Odyssey. Xbox has been my main console ever since (360, OneS, Series X).
OG Xbox with Halo. The Silent Cartographer remains one of the greatest gaming moments I’ve ever experienced, right up there with Shamus on Atari 400. I sat out the Xbox One/PS4 generation but love my Series X - hopefully Xbox will remain a thing through the rest of my gaming lifetime.
I was there day one with the OG Xbox. I think I got it at Game. I seem to recall that I had to hunt around a bit as it was not available in some of the shops. You would think I would have learned my lesson when it came to the 360, but I didn't, and the console sold out everywhere. I still got my 360 on day one though. I managed to get it off a student who advertised it on eBay. I picked it up in person, and paid £500 for the privilege. I had no problems pre-ordering the One, and had sweaty palms when trying to pre-ordering two Series X's (one for myself, and one for my son) which I got from Argos and direct from Microsoft. I am curious as to whether the Prime will sell out day one as the X did, or whether there will be many people, who like myself are undecided and may not bother to get one.
I have also bought each of the mid-generation refreshes, plus the Scorpio, the 360 Gears of War Collector's console, the Halo Reach Collector's 360 console, and the Modern Warfare 3 Collector's console, and the One X Gears of War Collector's console. I was very tempted by the Halo Series X console, but it was just that bit too close to the X having released, combined with the high cost, so opted to miss out on that one.
All that said, I have also had the PS1 through to the PS5 day one. However, I have never bothered with the mid-generation refreshes for the PlayStation, nor have I bought any of the Collector's consoles...
The legendary 360 and was blown away! best console i’ve ever had and the greatest console of all time! legendary online, legendary games, exclusives & content, and a legendary adolescent years! long live the 360 ! ill never get rid of mine 🤍💚🩶
also, thank god for hyperkin remaking the 360 controller, it’s still my preferred controller! 💚🤍🩶
Day one XBOX of course it was Halo that got me first. UK 2002 also with dead and alive 3 and project Gotham racing.
Since then every Xbox day one and have not really stopped since.
2001 when it came out and been xbox owner ever since
Housemate and couch co-op Gears 2. Turned me into a gamer for sure
Friday night in high school(2001-02), walked into my friend's house. Everyone was there playing halo on the Xbox my friend brought over. Been a fan ever since I got a job. I remember putting some music on the Xbox. And it would play on the in-game radio on gta sa. Good times.
First Xbox release from GameStop and it kept freezing smh stuck with it still
I got the og Morrowind was so good on it. Man it just had some great games ghost recon island thunder was my first online multiplayer XP.
I got an original Xbox from my grandpa in like 2008, he gave me this huge stack of games but Halo 1 was the only game that worked 😂 I never got too into it (never loved the OG Xbox personally) but that first level on the planet after the opening was good. That’s all I remember 😅
Been with Xbox since Day One 2001. No regrets.
Intro? Pre Xbox (OG) when did I buy in? Halo 3
2011 it was for me. May 2011 I picked up my first Xbox, an Xbox 360.
Bought an original Xbox with Halo on launch day. Great times with that console.
Sometime in 2000 or 2001, my friend had told me that Microsoft was going to produce a gaming console.
Got mine a few weeks after launch, but only kept 10 or so days.
Was confused about hard drive (in addition to thinking had to buy memory unit like PS for game saves). No ‘must have’ exclusives, while PS2 kept me busy enough.
Got X360 at launch four years after and kept that. While got much more play time than my PS3 and Wii combined.
Got the original Xbox within a week of launch and had them all since. They have all been fun but I remember the 360 era with most fondness, some great exclusive games.
Hoping they will always have a machine, I may play elsewhere much of the time, but I value having an alternative..
Very specific memory but anyone from the West Midlands might know what I am talking about. It was 2001/02 and I went to GameStation in Birmingham. It was two floors and it was very overwhelming for 7 year old me who did not know what they wanted with there pocket money.
I walk in with my dad and my brother and we see a demo kiosk for Halo CE. It was The Silent Cartographer misson and playing that split screen with my brother was all I needed. The pocket money I had that day was my first ever savings lesson. My dad said if I could save up half of an Xbox with my pocket money he would get the rest and I got an Xbox with Halo CE and two controllers.
I played SEGA and what not when I was little but the Xbox was my first ever console I called my own and I loved the brand ever since.
I remember having the original xbox when it launched. Had a PS2 at the time and remember buying games on xbox when I could over the PS2. Me and my brother would argue about playing the xbox with some great games released for it. We even had the original controllers that were bigger than the console itself 😅our biceps certainly got a good workout 💪
I remember my dad getting us the Xbox 360, Kinect and the Kinect sports bundle. Ah good times
I was going to buy a Mac to play Halo. That should sufficiently answer the question.
I walked into a Sears on launch day with a friend of mine and picked up a bundle of the Xbox, extra controller, Halo, and a bunch of games I didn't want.
I was coming off one of the more PC focused eras of my life (there have been a bunch), between 96 and 01 Quake and then EverQuest dominated my game time.
Christmas 2001. Halo changed everything. Max Payne was also awesome.
My first Xbox was the 360 that I bought from my brother in 2017. I wanted to play Resident Evil 5 and 6 and by that time it was the only console in my house that had these games. I was a Nintendo player and had only a Wii U and a 3DS.
Halo LAN parties, of course. Ironically, I had Xbox Live for a while before owning any Xbox. I finally got a 360 when I bought Halo 4, but I played Halo with friends like 3-4 days a week for the whole 360 era, just went to a friend’s house to do it. I actually had a decent Xbox Arcade library from games I’d purchased and played on friends’ consoles when I got my own as well. Sort of funny to think I probably bought about 20 games on the console before owning one.
Was PC gamer for long time….XBox One X was my first and now have 2 series X….XBOX for life for sure, Prime will be day 1 pre order, people can say what they want about Microsoft but I can’t imagine gaming life without game pass 🙏🏻
When Jade Empire was releases. Then to Fable, Jet Set Radio Future, Crackdown and Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams.
We used to have Halo 2 LAN parties with 4 Xbox's, 4 TV's and 16 people in one room. Total madness!!!
I already had a GameCube and a PS2, and I was skeptical of Microsoft having a console. Picked one up in '03 because I was bored with what the CG and PS2 had at the time. GameStop was having a B2G1 on used games so I picked up RTCW, DOA3, and Morrowind. Morrowind blew me away and shortly after that KOTOR released and I was all in after that.
August 2002. Got the original Xbox with Halo and then Hunter The Reckoning.
Got mine with Midtown Madness 3 which really a need a remake of all 3 games.Also got Halo but never played it for days but when I did WOW that opened my eyes.Also had Azuric...***** off stop laughin the lot of ya
Original Xbox day 1…I was a Sega refugee (Genesis->saturn->dreamcast). Jumped on Xbox because of the Sega support, and stuck through even as they released games exclusively on PlayStation (ie was mega upset yakuza didn’t originally come to Xbox, but good things come to those who wait 🤣). Love that series systems are getting Japanese support like in the 360 days.
I’ve also never played Halo or Gears 🫣…but loved me some fable (new one been my most anticipated since getting my series x in 2022).
Back in 2001. I bought it to play Silent Hill 2 and picked up Halo at the same time.
I got the original Xbox at release after which it became my main console. The hours I spent in games like Morrowind and championship Manager were endless, but strangely never got into their own IP; I then got the 360, and it was my main console. The likes of Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon convinced me (the former still being one of my favourite games of all time). I used to play a lot of CoD with the wife before we were living together.
Never had an Xbox after that. They moved away from games that appealed to me. My 360 was stolen in a burglary and I decided to get a ps3 due to all the games I had missed and combination of a bigger digital games library on PS and then later VR only being on PS locked me in.
I was never opposed to getting another Xbox too, just never saw a compelling reason game-wise, and with MS’ shift in policy now I doubt I ever will. Many happy memories though.
I think I got one in 2002 as I remember Sega GT being one of my first games. Back then I was mainly a Sega and Nintendo gamer and whilst I did have a PS2, it didn't get much use.
After Dreamcast fell away, it was the Gamecube I played most but loved the Xbox for racing games such as Project Gotham 2 and the GTA double pack with improved visuals over the PS2 originals and Panzer Dragoon Orta
November 2021. Forza Horizon 4 & 5 were the games that tipped me away from PS and I've had nothing but positive gaming memories ever since!
A friend had the Jolly Green Giant and whilst I did enjoy co-op Halo there wasn’t anything to tempt me to give up my GameCube and the newfound freedom of wireless controllers.
I was late to the party, buying a 360 in 2012. I’d call it my favourite console of all time. The only reason I stuck with the Series was so I could keep playing my old 360 titles.
I had to look back on my achievement history for this, and the first achievement I unlocked was for Project Gotham Racing 3 on the 360 back in January 14, 2006.
I got it in Sep 2022, cause I was struggling to find a PS5, but I like my Series X and is my main system now, I think it's a great machine and good services. I'm not planning to go back to PS5 as my main system at least, got other consoles, so don't discard buying a cheap one someday to play some exclusives (or might just finally upgrade my PC)
It was the original XBox.
But in my case, I wasn't that much interested back then. I had a PS2 and later a Gamecube.
My brother already had the XBox and loved it. We played a lot of Halo and Dead or Alive 3, I watched him play several games, but I wasn't in need to have it myself.
The XBox 360 was the place when XBox really got me on fire.
I remember, about 3 months after launch, Capcom showed the trailer of Lost Planet. I was like: holy *****, I need this!
And Kameo was already out and Dead or Alive 4 on the fence.
I bought the 360 Premium Pak together with Kameo and NFS Most Wanted. My 3rd game was Fight Night 3, which looked like a real box fight.
And when I saw Dead or Alive 4 at a store on an early HD TV, well, a month later I had the same TV.
I loved every bit of that console to death, this console also brought me to online gaming and made me meet some good people.
Christmas 2002. I wanted the Xbox over the PS2. Everyone had the PS2. I thought the Xbox was a better name and it seemed like it would be the dominant console in the future due to Microsoft making it. Plus, Halo. Nothing on the Playstation could touch Halo.
In 2004, I was a student and I didnt had the money to buy a game pc. I remember that the gta double pack with enhanced graphics was released and a port of Doom 3 on the original xbox. That made me decide to go for xbox instead of a game pc or ps2. I bought the pgr2 bundle.
Technically I saw the first E3 showing but was both unimpressed with the games and too young to buy a console anyway. And my focus was on college prep in a few years. Didn’t get a xbox (360) or ps2 until college (needed a system to tide me over until the wii came out since I left most of my gamecube games at home to focus on the heckscape that was my studies. ). Only got my 360 because of VF online. Best and worst decision I have made as a gamer. (Best because VF version C is my favorite version. Worst because the 360 was the most defective game system I have ever owned. ) Xbox did get me more seriously into PC gaming though so I certainly appreciate that.
Fall 2002 me with a PC & PS2 only came to college to find tons of people were playing Halo LAN in dorms. Learned how to use a Duke, started to wipe the floor more than half the matches either 1st or 2nd in FFA games and bought me an Xbox Dec 2002.
Started byying most games on Xbox moving forward (some on PC or PS exclusives) and here we are at the crossroads of the brand 22 years later.
For me it was around 2011 and the Xbox 360. I played Ultimate MvC3 & that swung it for me. I was going to get a PS3 at launch but the cost put me off. I went back to Sony for the PS4 Pro (skipped Xbone) and the noise it generated made me quit Sony for the Series S (now X). Never getting another PlayStation as I'm happy with PC, Nintendo & Xbox.
I didn't really enjoy the PS exclusives (GT Sport/7 (loved 3-4), InFamous, TLoU) so I don't feel I'm missing anything especially since Sony are now porting to Steam.
Got one the day it came out in the UK. I remember they lowered the price soon after and offered me a free controller and 2 free games as an apology, that's when got halo and nba 2k for free.
I bought Xbox a few mounts after Halo 2 was launched. I also bought additional controller to play (co-op) with my friends.
We were blown away...
I was so happy saving money by not purchasing PS2.
Games were much better on Xbox due to the stronger hardware (such as "BurnOut 3 - TakeDown" )
2008 xbox 360. I was 28 and was kinda out of gaming at that time. Was working for Wetherspoons as a manager. Went over to my friends who had a 360 and watched him playing Assassins Creed, was blown away. Went out and bought a 360 with my first GM wage. Never looked back. Love xbox.
A good friend traded me all his N64 stuff (which turned out very well in my favor) to get him an Xbox launch bundle on my Future Shop store account.
I never had an OG Box of my own til recently, but spent a lot of time playing on various friend's machines.
October 2007 I got a 360 and have been along ever since.
Got my original Xbox on launch with Halo - i think it was early 2002 and owned every generation since. I still remember playing Crimson Skies with lads from New Zealand and Portugal - Mind Blown : )
What was my introduction to Xbox. Two things.
1. "It's a dark day for Dark Master"
2. Playing Bloodwake at Curry's on a display unit, never seen water like it.
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