Xbox is a brand of video game console developed by Microsoft Corporation . A video game console is a specialized gaming computer that connects to a television . Several versions of the Xbox have been released.
The first Xbox launched in 2001. The name Xbox came from DirectX, a programming interface that Microsoft had distributed for use in developing computer games. The science fiction shooting game Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) helped propel Xbox sales. Halo and its sequels featured enemies with impressive artificial intelligence . In 2002, Microsoft introduced the Xbox Live service, enabling players to connect over the internet to play games with one another. Halo players could compete and cooperate over Xbox Live.
In 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360. This second Xbox console featured improved graphics and the ability to stream internet-based movies, music, and other media. The Xbox 360 was more successful than its predecessor. Violent, action-packed games helped make the Xbox 360 popular with devoted gamers. Such games included Gears of War (2006) and Alan Wake (2010). Microsoft also expanded the console’s appeal to new audiences with the Kinect, a motion-sensing device released in 2010. The Kinect recognized spoken commands and enabled more active game play, with players controlling the action through gestures and body motions rather than a controller.
Microsoft released the third Xbox console, the Xbox One, in 2013. The Xbox One featured access to more internet applications. It also came with an enhanced Kinect device. In 2014, Microsoft began selling a cheaper Xbox One without the Kinect included.
In 2020, Microsoft released the fourth generation of Xbox consoles, the larger, more powerful Xbox Series X and the smaller, less expensive Xbox Series S. Both new Xbox consoles featured access to the Xbox Game Pass game subscription service. In addition to powerful processors, both consoles featured built-in solid-state drives (SSD’s) to reduce loading times.
