Exhibit: Microsoft Xbox One (2013–2020)
Released: November 22, 2013 (North America) · November 22, 2013 (UK)
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Units Sold: ~51 million worldwide
Status: The console that learned from its mistakes
The Difficult Launch
The Xbox One's reveal in May 2013 is one of gaming's most notorious press conferences. Always-online requirements. DRM restrictions on used games. A mandatory Kinect. A focus on TV and entertainment over gaming. The gaming community reacted with fury, and Sony capitalised brilliantly at E3 2013 with a simple message: the PS4 plays used games.
Microsoft reversed their policies before launch, but the damage was done. The Xbox One never recovered its sales momentum against the PS4.
The Redemption Arc
What Microsoft did next was more interesting than the launch disaster. They introduced Game Pass — a subscription service that gave access to hundreds of games for a monthly fee. They committed to backward compatibility across multiple generations. They acquired studios. They built a foundation for the future.
Iconic Games
- Halo 5: Guardians — the franchise's first native Xbox One entry
- Forza Horizon 3 — the open-world racing game that defined the series
- Ori and the Blind Forest — a beautiful, emotional platformer
- Sunset Overdrive — anarchic, colourful, and underappreciated