GameTimeline

Xbox US launch dates · 2001–2020

Xbox consoles in US release order

Four major Xbox home consoles in US release order—from the original Xbox (2001) through Xbox Series X | S (2020). Microsoft has no dedicated Xbox handheld on this timeline; Slim, Elite, Kinect bundles, and Series S vs Series X variants are in the questions below, not separate entries.

Updated June 2026

Release order

Xbox (2001) → Xbox 360 (2005) → Xbox One (2013) → Xbox Series X | S (2020).

  • This is the full Xbox consoles timeline in US release order—home systems only
  • We don't list prices, bundles, or where to buy—check Microsoft or your preferred retailer
  • For Sony, Nintendo, and Sega in the same era, see the industry-wide game console timeline

At a glance

Xbox (2001) → Xbox 360 (2005) → Xbox One (2013) → Xbox Series X | S (2020).

Tap a year to jump straight to that console.

Xbox consoles in order

US launch dates for every major Xbox home console on this timeline.

  1. Microsoft Xbox
    M

    Xbox

    Home

    Microsoft's first console—built-in hard drive and Ethernet port from day one.

    What's new
    Standard 8 GB hard drive saved games without memory cards. Xbox Live (2002) unified friends, voice chat, and patches—a paid online model the rest of the industry copied.
    Hardware
    Custom Intel Pentium III at 733 MHz, NVIDIA NV2A GPU, 64 MB unified memory. Large launch controller ('Duke') replaced by Controller S. US launch November 15, 2001.
    Standout games
    Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Fable, Ninja Gaiden, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Forza Motorsport.
    Context
    Lost total sales to PS2 but gained a foothold in North America and established Live as a service platform. DirectX heritage made PC ports easier than on PlayStation 2.
  2. Xbox 360
    M

    Xbox 360

    Home

    HD gaming and Xbox Live Arcade changed how indie games reached consoles.

    What's new
    Xbox Live Arcade brought digital downloads (Geometry Wars, Braid). Achievements spread across the industry. Optional Kinect (2010) sold tens of millions but split developer focus.
    Hardware
    IBM Xenon triple-core at 3.2 GHz, ATI Xenos GPU, 512 MB unified RAM. Models: Core, Premium, Elite; later slim revision. Early 'Red Ring of Death' reliability crisis on launch hardware. US launch November 22, 2005.
    Standout games
    Gears of War, Halo 3, Mass Effect, BioShock, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Red Dead Redemption.
    Context
    Beat PS3 to market by a year in the US. Strong Western online shooters; PlayStation 3 eventually caught up in exclusives but 360 led much of the generation in North America.
  3. Xbox One
    M

    Xbox One

    Home

    Microsoft reversed always-online and Kinect bundling after fan pushback.

    What's new
    Xbox Game Pass (2017) shifted toward subscription library access. Backward compatibility with Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles via emulation. Xbox One X (2017) targeted native 4K for enthusiasts.
    Hardware
    AMD Jaguar x86-8 cores, 8 GB DDR3 plus 32 MB ESRAM, Blu-ray drive. Launch bundled Kinect 2.0 (later removed to cut price). Xbox One S added HDR and 4K Blu-ray. US launch November 22, 2013.
    Standout games
    Forza Horizon 4, Halo 5, Gears 5, Ori and the Blind Forest, Sea of Thieves, Sunset Overdrive, Cuphead.
    Context
    Lost the exclusives narrative to PS4 early on. Game Pass and studio acquisitions became the long-term strategy rather than winning unit sales this generation.
  4. Xbox Series X | S
    M

    Series X | S

    Home

    Two models at launch—premium Series X and digital-only Series S.

    What's new
    Quick Resume suspends multiple games instantly. Smart Delivery gives Series X | S owners the best version of cross-gen purchases free. Game Pass is central to Microsoft's pitch.
    Hardware
    Series X: Zen 2 CPU, 12 TFLOPS RDNA 2 GPU, 1 TB SSD, disc drive. Series S: digital-only, 512 GB SSD, lower GPU (1440p target), smaller form factor. Velocity Architecture for fast I/O. US launch November 10, 2020.
    Standout games
    Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
    Context
    Series S lowers entry price but weaker specs split developer targets. Microsoft prioritizes Game Pass and cloud over winning pure console unit counts versus Sony.

FAQ

How many systems exist, which came first, model variants, Game Pass, and how this page compares to the full industry timeline.

Basics

This timeline lists four major Xbox home consoles in US release order—original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S. Microsoft has never released a dedicated Xbox handheld like Nintendo's Game Boy or Sony's PSP. If you count variants—Xbox 360 Core, Premium, Elite, and Slim; Xbox One S and One X; Series S and Series X as separate models—the total is higher. Those share the same game library as their parent generation and are covered below, not as separate timeline entries.

In the United States, the original Microsoft Xbox on November 15, 2001 is the first Xbox console on this timeline. Microsoft entered the console market nineteen years after Nintendo's NES and six years after Sony's PlayStation. Xbox Live launched in 2002 and became the brand's long-term differentiator. The full list in order is on this page.

US release order on this page: Xbox (2001) → Xbox 360 (2005) → Xbox One (2013) → Xbox Series X | S (2020). That is the complete Xbox consoles timeline for major home hardware.

Models & variants

We list one entry per major generation. Xbox 360 Core, Premium, Elite, and later Slim are mid-generation redesigns with the same game library. Xbox One S and One X upgraded the 2013 base model. Xbox Series X | S launched together in 2020—Series X is the disc-capable premium box; Series S is digital-only and less powerful. Kinect was an optional camera for Xbox 360 and bundled with early Xbox One units, not a separate console generation.

History

Related pages

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.