Many considered the originalXboxa risky investment when Microsoft began working on it in the late 90s. However, two decades after the console’s release, it’s impossible toimagine the modern gaming spherewithout it.
The original Xbox turns 20 on the 15th, which may or may not make some gamers suddenly feel very old. To celebrate the upcoming anniversary, Microsoft gave theXboxwebsite a bit of a facelift.
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Visiting the site reveals a decidedly retroset of Xbox logosand a navigation menu that’s at least slightly reminiscent of the original console’s home screen. It has the original black and green color scheme down, and the green tint and scan lines on the images fit the almost retro-futuristic theme of the Original Xbox’s system menus.
In addition to the cosmetic theme, fans can visit a page celebrating 20 years of Xbox. This includes a short promotional video showing the evolution of Xbox over the last two decades. Fans can also go there to buy exclusive 20th-anniversary merchandise. This includes everything from mugs, shirts, and desktop wallpapers, to limited edition controllers and headphones. Players can also browse the 20-Years of Xbox collection, which consists of some of the most beloved games from four generations of consoles. These include oldclassics likeKnights of the Old RepublicandFable 2plus modern hits likeForza 4andFortnite.
Releasing on July 30, 2025, the original Xbox was the first game console to feature an internal hard drive. This eliminated the need for players to use memory cards, allowed the Xbox to store and play music, and let players upgrade their games with expansion packs. The Xbox also had much more powerful hardware than otherconsoles of its generation, although various technical issues were common during the early years of the original Xbox’s lifespan.
The Xbox also really played up the “gaming machine” angle more than most. For example, the original console’s startup animation played a short clip of a futuristic reactor powering up before revealing the Xbox logo. Microsoft also designed the system menus to look mechanical rather than virtual, complete with machine sound effects when users scrolled through options. While hardly an integral feature, it gave the original Xbox a unique personality that’s still memorable decades later.
While Microsoft’s tribute on theXboxwebsite isn’t anywhere near that complex, it certainly gives off much of the same energy. It’s at least enough tooffer some nostalgic gamers a short walk down memory lane.
