What is Xbox?
Xbox is a video “gaming brand” created and owned by “Microsoft“. The “Microsoft Xbox” brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service called the Xbox Network, and a development arm called Xbox Game Studios. The brand was first introduced in the United States in November 2001 with the launch of the original Microsoft Xbox console.
What is an Xbox Console?
The Xbox is a home “video game console” and the first installment in the Xbox series of video game consoles created by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001, as Microsoft’s first foray into the gaming console market in North America, followed by Australia, Europe, and Japan in 2002.
Xbox’s new consoles released in 2020, Microsoft Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will change the way you think about video game consoles. With a whopping 12 teraflops, the Xbox Series X has twice the graphics processing unit (GPU) performance capability of the preceding Xbox One X system.
The Generation of Microsoft Xbox Consoles
First Generation: Xbox
The first Xbox game console, launched in 2001, was Microsoft’s first entry into the market.
- North America on November 15, 2001
- Japan February 22, 2002
- Australia and Europe March 14, 2002
As part of the sixth generation of video game consoles, the Microsoft Xbox competed with Sony’s PlayStation 2, Sega’s Dreamcast (which ceased US sales before the Xbox began sales), and Nintendo’s GameCube.
When the Atari Jaguar was terminated in the United States in 1996, Microsoft launched the first Xbox console. The name Xbox is a reference to Microsoft’s graphics API, DirectX, which was derived from a contraction of DirectX Box.
The Xbox Live service, which was announced in November 2002, allows players to play online games with or without a broadband connection. It competed with Dreamcast’s online service at first, but afterward mainly with PlayStation 2’s online service.
Despite the fact that the two competitor programs were free, Xbox Live required a subscription – as well as a broadband-only connection, which was not yet widely accepted – and was popular due to enhanced servers, features such as friend lists, and more. It had been.
Halo 2 (published in November 2004) was a landmark product that became the best-selling Xbox video game and the most popular online game ever for the original Xbox system.
Second Generation: Xbox 360
In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 as the successor to the original Xbox, competing against Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game systems.
Worldwide, 84 million Xbox 360 consoles had been sold as of June 2014. On May 12, 2005, the Xbox 360 was formally announced on MTV, with further launch and game information revealed later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Except for Japan, the console was fully sold out upon its initial release. Several retail versions of the basic Xbox 360 model were available over its lifetime, each with a different amount of RAM and internal storage.
The Xbox 360 introduced an expanded Xbox Live service (which now included a limited “Free” tier called Silver), the ability to stream multimedia content from PCs, and later updates added the ability to purchase and stream music, television shows, and films via the Xbox Music and Xbox Video services, as well as access to third-party content services via third-party media streaming applications.
Microsoft also released Kinect, a sophisticated sensor-based motion control technology for the Xbox 360.
Following the first introduction of the Xbox 360, two major changes were made
The “Xbox 360” S (also known as the “Slim”), which was released in 2010, included the same core hardware but in a new, sleeker form factor with a smaller-sized 250 GB hard drive. It also included built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, TOSLINK S/PDIF optical audio output, five USB 2.0 ports (up from three in previous models), and a specialized port designed for the Kinect accessory.
It also included built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, TOSLINK S/PDIF optical audio output, five USB 2.0 ports (up from three in previous models), and a specialized port designed for the Kinect accessory.
The Xbox 360 S replaced the original Xbox 360, which was discontinued and cost the same. Later in 2010, a cheaper Xbox 360 S device was launched, which removed the 250 GB drive while adding 4 GB of internal storage; the console allowed customers to connect an external storage solution or buy a 250 GB internal add-on.
The Xbox 360 E, introduced in 2013, was the Xbox 360’s second major upgrade. It had a similar casing design to the future Xbox One, although it lacked one USB port as well as the S/PDIF, YPbPr component, and S-video connections. It otherwise had the same features as the Xbox 360 S.
Third Generation: Xbox One
The “Xbox One” was introduced in North America on November 22, 2013, as the successor to the Xbox 360. As part of the eighth generation of video game consoles, the Xbox One competitors with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U and Switch.
The Xbox One, which was announced on May 21, 2013, focuses on internet-based features, such as the ability to record and stream gameplay, as well as the capability to connect with a set-top box to watch cable or satellite TV through a console via an enhanced guide functionality and Kinect-based voice control.
While Microsoft touted the ability for users to access their game collection (regardless of whether they were purchased physically or digitally) on any Xbox One console without needing their discs, and the ability to share their entire library with 10 designated “family” members, all games would have to be tied to the user’s Xbox Live account and all games would have to be linked to the user’s Xbox Live account.
Following an outpouring of criticism from reviewers and customers (many of whom were worried that the system would block or impede the resale of used games), Microsoft announced that the limits will be lifted.
Microsoft opted to allow the system to run without Kinect as a sign of dedication to user privacy.
Microsoft introduced the “Xbox One S” at E3 2016 on June 13, 2016, with a smaller form factor and compatibility for 4K video (including streaming and Ultra HD Blu-ray) and HDR. Microsoft revealed the Xbox One X at E3 2017, a high-end device with enhanced hardware meant to support 4K quality gaming.
Microsoft has said that it will not provide Xbox One sales figures since November 2014. According to industry projections, the Xbox One family will sell approximately 51 million systems worldwide. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer stated that while they do track sales data internally, they do not want their developers to be so focused on these numbers that it affects their products, hence they have decided not to report future sales of Xbox hardware.
Fourth Generation: Xbox Series X and Series S
The “Xbox Series X” and “Xbox Series S” are part of the fourth generation of Xbox devices, which will be released on November 10, 2020. Both, along with the PlayStation 5, are considered part of the ninth generation of video game consoles.
The Xbox Series X and Series S are high- and low-end variants, respectively, of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S models, with all games released for this model family playing on both systems.
The Xbox Series X is predicted to be four times as powerful as the Xbox One X, with 8K resolution performance and up to 120 frames per second rendering, with a notional objective of 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. The Xbox Series S is a digital-only console with reduced graphic processing capability, although it can still render at a nominal 1440p resolution at 60 frames per second with 4K upscaling capabilities.
Both consoles support new graphics rendering systems including as real-time ray-tracing, as well as the new Xbox Velocity Architecture, which works with the internal SSD drive to improve the rate of texture streaming to the graphics engine, among other things. Aside from games for this new console family, both consoles are fully compatible with all Xbox One titles and most hardware, as well as all backward compatible games from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox console that were playable on the Xbox One.
To assist consumers in the transition, Microsoft introduced its Smart Delivery system, which will be used by the majority of its first-party games and several third-party games to offer free updates to Xbox One versions of games to the Xbox Series X/S version over the first few years of the consoles’ launch.
Xbox Console Price and Details
1. Xbox and Xbox 360 (First and Second Generation)
Price: $299.99
Media: CD, DVD, HD DVD (movies only) with add-on drive, USB Drive with supported media,
Accessories: Xbox Live Starter Kit, Xbox Media Center Extender, DVD Playback Kit, Xbox Music Mixer, Memory Unit (8 MB), Logitech Wireless Controller (2.4 GHz), Kinect, Wireless Gaming Receiver, Play & Charge Kit.
CPU: 733 MHz Intel Celeron/Pentium III Custom Hybrid CPU. / 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPC tri-core CPU.
GPU: 233 MHz GeForce 3 NV2A DirectX 8.0 built nVidia custom GPU/ 500 MHz ATi custom Radeon X1800 DirectX 9.0c based GPU called “Xenos”
Memory: DDR SDRAM 64 MB @ 200 MHz 6.4 GB/s / 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM running at 700 MHz GPU frame buffer memory of 22.4 GB/s and 10 MB EDRAM.
Video I/O ports:
- VGA
- S-Video
- Composite
- HDMI 1.1
- Component/D-Terminal (YPbPr)
- SCART RGB
Online service:
- Xbox Live (2002–10)
- Xbox Live Vision (webcam), headset
- Xbox Live Arcade
- Xbox Live Marketplace
- XLink Kai (2003–present) / Xbox Live
- Windows Live Messenger
- Internet Explorer
- VideoKinect (Kinect
System software features:
- Audio CD playback
- HD-DVD playback (with optional add-on)
- Video file playback (MPEG4, WMV, DivX, XviD[59])
- Audio file playback (non-DRM AAC, MP3, WMA)
- DVD playback (with the playback kit), Audio CD playback
- Image slideshows
Connection to Windows PCs for further codec support and outside playback (compatible natively with Windows XP Media Center Edition & Windows Vista, with Windows XP downloadable utility).
Programmability for consumers: Through the use of Softmods and/or modchips; modified Windows CE 2. x, Linux. XNA Game Studio for PC development ($99/year membership, binary distribution with XNA 1.0 Refresh).
2. Xbox One (Third Generation)
Price: $499.99 (with Kinect), / $399.99 (without Kinect)
Media: CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, USB Drive with supported media, DLNA Servers
Accessories: Stereo Headset Adapter, Official Stereo Headset, Kinect, Media Remote, Digital TV Tuner (EU Only), Play and Charge Kit.
CPU: 1.75 GHz AMD x86-64 8-core CPU codenamed
GPU: 853 MHz AMD Radeon HD 7000 series DirectX 11.1, DirectX 12-based GPU codenamed with 12 compute units.
Memory: 8 GB of DDR3 RAM @ 2133 MHz 68.3 GB /, 32 MB ESRAM GPU frame buffer memory.
Video Port: HDMI 1.4b Input, Output
Online service: Xbox Live, Xbox Store, Microsoft Store, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Skype.
System software features: Audio CD playback, DVD playback, Blu-ray playback, 3D Blu-ray playback, DLNA server support, and External hard drive support.
3. Xbox One S (Third Generation)
Price: $249.99
Media: CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UHD Blu-ray Disc, USB Drive with supported media, DLNA Servers.
CPU: 1.75 GHz AMD x86-64 eight-core CPU codenamed
GPU: 914 MHz AMD Radeon HD 7000 series DirectX 11.1 / DirectX 12-based GPU codenamed Edmonton with 12 compute units.
Memory: 8 GB of DDR3 RAM @ 2133 MHz 68.3 GB/s, 32 MB ESRAM GPU frame buffer memory.
Video I/O ports: HDMI 1.4b Input, HDMI 2.0a Output.
Online service:
- Xbox Live
- Xbox Store
- Microsoft Store
- Microsoft Edge
- Skype
System software features:
- Audio CD playback
- Blu-ray playback
- UHD Blu-ray playback
- DVD playback
- 3D Blu-ray playback
- DLNA server support
- External hard drive HD support
4. Xbox One X (Third Generation)
Price: $499.99
Media: CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UHD Blu-ray Disc, USB Drive with supported media, DLNA Servers.
Accessories: Same as Xbox one.
CPU: 2.3 GHz semi-custom AMD x86-64 eight-core CPU code-named Jaguar Enhanced.
GPU: 1172 MHz AMD GCN DirectX 11.1, DirectX 12-based GPU codenamed Scorpio with 40 compute units.
Memory: 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM @ 6.8 GHz 326 GB/s.
Video I/O ports: HDMI 1.4b Input, HDMI 2.0b Output.
Online service: Same as Xbox one.
System software features: same as Xbox one s.
5. Xbox Series S (Fourth Generation)
Price: $299.99
Media: USB Drive with supported media, DLNA Servers.
Accessories: Xbox Wireless Controller.
For Xbox One accessories see Xbox Series X/S §, Xbox Wireless Controller, and accessories for Xbox Series X/S.
CPU: 3.6 GHz custom AMD Zen 2 eight-core CPU.
GPU: 1550 MHz AMD Custom RDNA 2 DirectX 12-based GPU with 20 compute units.
Memory: 10 GB of GDDR6 RAM: 8GB @ 244 GB/s, 2 GB @ 56 GB/s.
Video I/O ports: HDMI 2.1 Output.
Online service:
- Xbox Live
- Xbox Store
- Microsoft Store
- Microsoft Edge
System software features:
- DLNA server support
- External hard drive (HD) support
6. Xbox Series X (Fourth Generation)
Price: $499.99
Media: CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UHD Blu-ray Disc, USB Drive with supported media, DLNA Servers.
Accessories: Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox One accessories for Xbox Series X/S Xbox Wireless Control system, and accessories for Xbox Series X/S.
CPU: 3.8 GHz custom AMD Zen 2 8-core CPU.
GPU: 1825 MHz AMD Custom RDNA 2 DirectX 12-based GPU with 52 compute units.
Memory: 16 GB of GDDR6 RAM; 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6 GB @ 336 GB/s.
Video I/O ports: HDMI 2.1 Output
Online service:
- Xbox Live
- Xbox Store
- Microsoft Store
- Microsoft Edge
System software features:
- Audio CD playback
- DVD playback
- Blu-ray playback
- 3D Blu-ray playback
- UHD Blu-ray playback
- DLNA server support
- External hard drive (HD) support
What is the Xbox network?
“Xbox Network” was formerly known as “Xbox Live”. Xbox is an online service with over 65 million users worldwide (as of July 2019).
It includes an online virtual marketplace, the Xbox Games Store, for purchasing and downloading various forms of games and multimedia. Online gaming on Xbox debuted worldwide on November 15, 2002, and the service is still active and continues to be played by gamers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1) Which Xbox console is the newest?
Ans: The Newest Xbox Console:
- “Xbox series x”
- “True 4K. gaming”
- “UP TO 120. FRAME PER SECOND”
- “8K HDR. high dynamic range”
Q2) Who is better Xbox or PlayStation?
Ans: However, while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are similar in terms of quality and performance, the PS5’s exclusive games and gameplay-focused features make it more attractive to buyers who want a great experience and don’t want to miss major releases.
Q3) Is Xbox cheaper or PlayStation?
Ans: If you want 4K gaming, Sony’s PS4 Pro costs $399, while the Xbox One X costs $499. There’s a huge price difference, although Microsoft’s console offers a richer 4K gaming experience.
Q4) What are the Different Types of Xbox?
Ans: Types of Xbox:
- “Xbox console”
- “Xbox Series X”
- “Xbox Series S.
- “Xbox All Access”
- “Help me choose”
Q5) Is the Xbox S Worth It?
Ans: The Xbox Series S is completely disc-less so you don’t have to buy all your games and while it saves money, you’ll also save shelf space. Despite coming in at a much lower price point in the comparison, the Series S can play all the same games as the more expensive Xbox Series X.
Q6) What is cheaper Xbox or PS5?
Ans: In terms of price, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are similar – at least in the United States. Both systems are $499, but if you don’t mind bypassing the disc drive, the PS5 Digital Edition is $399.
