Microsoft is kicking off the festivities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its iconic console.
It’s November 15, 2001, and the video game industry is experiencing a veritable earthquake. While Sony reigned supreme thanks to the phenomenal success of its PlayStation and the subsequent wave of its PlayStation 2, Microsoft decided to throw its hat into the ring: the first-generation Xbox had just launched in the United States. Although it would take a few more months to reach Europe—it wasn’t released in France until March 14, 2002—the revolution was underway. Sony was no longer alone in the world!
Today, Microsoft is preparing to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its entry into the world of video games. An anniversary not as joyful as the company might have hoped: on one hand, Sony and its PlayStation 5 are throwing a wrench in Microsoft’s plans, while on the other, Nintendo is overwhelmingly dominating the more “family-friendly” sector with a Switch and a Switch 2 that guarantee it substantial revenue. Never mind—Microsoft has no intention of missing its protégé’s anniversary, and a shake-up took place earlier this year with the departures of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond. The new CEO of the Xbox division—Asha Sharma—intends to get things back on track and, above all, put the video game console back at the center of the group’s focus.
It’s hard to say whether the conditions are right for a strong comeback by Xbox consoles, but one thing is certain: the quarter-century milestone will be celebrated in style. On the official Xbox Wire website, Microsoft has laid it all out, starting with the launch of a new version of the Xbox Series X. A special edition for the brand’s 25th anniversary—and no, nothing has been announced regarding the Xbox Series S, which Microsoft has somewhat neglected lately. Jason Ronald, Xbox Vice President in charge of the next generation, talks about the new console:“For the first time, we’re bringing a translucent design to the Xbox Series X, drawing inspiration from the original Xbox and the OG green that so many gamers remember.”
The Microsoft teams have indeed worked to blend the very concept of the Xbox Series X with the visual identity of Microsoft’s first console, the “old” Xbox from 2001. The technical specifications of the machine are thus identical in every way to the most powerful version of the Xbox Series X, retaining“the power and performance of the Xbox Series X, with 1 TB of storage.” Jason Ronald notes that the console’s “X” lights up green when powered on and that the console will come with a special 25th-anniversary edition controller, just for good measure. However, Microsoft has not yet provided any details on the exact release date of the console, the payment system that will be used, or the price of this anniversary edition.
