20 Years of the Xbox 360: Looking Back at Microsoft's Most Successful Console of All Time

On November 22, 2005, the Xbox 360 went on sale. This device impacted the entire gaming industry and made Microsoft a major platform holder. In honor of the anniversary, we look back at the console's launch, its exclusives, and why it was more successful than other Xbox versions.

In the 1990s, many major companies, such as Apple and Panasonic, released their own consoles. However, only Sony's PlayStation proved truly successful, while the others fell flat among gamers. For a long time, Microsoft exclusively released software, primarily the Windows operating system. Its first console was released in 2001. It used DirectX technology and then-current computer hardware from Intel and NVIDIA, featured a built-in hard drive, and featured its own online service. The Xbox failed to compete effectively with the PlayStation 2 and proved unprofitable, but it showed potential. Therefore, unlike other corporations, Microsoft decided to invest in creating a new console.

The Xbox 360 was released just four years after the original Xbox. The company managed to get ahead of Sony and Nintendo, as the PlayStation 3 and Wii weren't released until November 2006. This time, Microsoft had an advantage, as it initially had no direct competitors within the seventh generation of gaming platforms. However, the first versions of the Xbox 360 had a high defect rate — due to an unreliable cooling system, they often failed. To address this issue, the warranty was extended to three years. Devices were replaced and repaired free of charge, which resulted in additional expenses but helped preserve the company's reputation. In 2008, the next revision of the Xbox 360 was released. The risk of overheating in the new consoles was minimized.

Meanwhile, around 5 million Xbox 360s were sold in the first year, providing a good lead before the release of the PlayStation 3. It's worth noting that Sony struggled with new titles early in the console's launch, and many players were hesitant to purchase the device. Moreover, it turned out to be significantly more expensive than what Microsoft was offering—$499 for the PS3 versus $299 for the Xbox 360.

However, even the best console is useless without top-notch games. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, platform holders heavily relied on exclusive titles. For example, only Xbox 360 owners could experience the new installments of the Halo, Forza Motorsport, and Project Gotham Racing series. Other notable titles include Ninja Gaiden 2, Fable 2, the original Saints Row (2006), and the Crackdown duology. Some games received timed exclusive status. For example, Mass Effect was first released on Xbox 360 and then ported to PC six months later.

But Microsoft's crown jewel of those years was the Gears of War series. The first game not only became a hit, but also set new standards for third-person shooters. After its release, cover-based shootouts became a staple of action games. The sequel and threequel further developed the original's concept, in particular, adding high-quality production values ​​and a solid storyline to the core mechanics.

It's also worth noting that many games of those years were released exclusively on consoles—PC ports, if any, were released much later. As a rule, the Xbox 360 versions looked better than what was offered on the PlayStation 3. Sony's device had a complex architecture, which resulted in a slight blurriness of the image. For example, this unpleasant effect was observed in GTA 4, Red Dead Redemption, and Bayonetta.

The Xbox 360 outsold the PlayStation 3 for a long time. Only towards the end of the seventh generation did Sony pull ahead slightly. In the opinion of the author of these lines, she was helped by first-class exclusives, including the series Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Heavy Rain, the original The Last of Us and many others.The PS3's lead was insignificant: 87 million consoles sold versus 84 million.

However, the Nintendo Wii unexpectedly emerged as the leader of the seventh generation. The Big N focused on the casual audience, and it paid off. A total of 101 million consoles were sold. It's worth noting that in 2010, Sony and Microsoft launched their own devices with motion tracking similar to the Wii Remote. However, neither PlayStation Move nor Kinect were able to replicate Nintendo's success.

The Xbox 360 remained Microsoft's most successful device. Following its success, it was decided to release a follow-up console, called the Xbox One. However, the dubious focus on multimedia and voice control failed to produce the desired result. This time, Sony defeated Microsoft by a landslide.

In early 2014, the company even considered leaving the hardware market. This situation was partially rectified by Phil Spencer, who made a number of bold decisions, from introducing Game Pass to eliminating exclusives and adding backward compatibility. Thanks to the latter, many Xbox 360 games can be played on other Microsoft consoles.

Several factors can be cited here that influenced the console's popularity. Among them are the relatively low price of the device, Sony's missteps during the launch of the PlayStation 3, and an excellent game library. This last point seems decisive: if someone bought an Xbox 360, they had access to dozens of top-notch titles.

Did you own an Xbox 360? Maybe you still have one in your collection? Share your thoughts in the comments!