Original Xbox - Timeline
Wednesday24th May 2023
Poll Which Xbox Console Had The Best Controller?
Come tell us your favourite generation Xbox controller!
Earlier today, we posted our review of Hyperkin's new Xbox 360 controller replica, and after being so impressed with their efforts, we've started thinking about which Xbox generation had the best controller. For a number of years now, we've been convinced — maybe even conditioned — that...
Tuesday23rd May 2023
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 23-30)
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
As part of this week's set of new Xbox deals, we've once again got another batch of classic titles from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that have been discounted for the next week, although some of them were already on sale anyway. For example, the big set of Call of Duty titles were part of last week's...
Tuesday16th May 2023
Deals Xbox Is Hosting A Huge Backwards Compatibility Sale This Week (May 16-23)
A large selection of Xbox classics
Microsoft has delivered a huge batch of Xbox sales this week, with over 700 titles currently discounted across a bunch of different promotions on the Xbox Store. We're definitely interested in a lot of these! <related ids="149484"> Typically, these sales roundups also include a small-ish selection of...
Wednesday19th Apr 2023
News Xbox Co-Creator Thinks Microsoft 'Really Should' Have Made An Xbox Portable
"There should have been an Xbox portable"
We've seen various different versions of portable Xbox games in recent years, as the way of play becomes even more popular in the wake of Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. A lot of these revolve around Xbox Cloud Gaming — like the Logitech G Cloud system pictured above — but what about a dedicated system...
Friday7th Apr 2023
Deals All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2023
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Spring Sale 2023 is now live, featuring hundreds of discounts on great games, and that means we've obviously also got some backwards compatible deals - over 50 titles have been reduced for the next couple of weeks! In the table below, you'll find every single backwards compatible deal (original Xbox and...
Tuesday28th Mar 2023
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (March 28 - April 4)
Including a massive Call of Duty sale!
Xbox is hosting another 400+ deals on the Microsoft Store over the next week, and that means we've obviously got some backwards compatible discounts to share as well, with all of them taken from the Xbox 360 era this time around. In the table below, you'll find every single backwards compatible deal included...
Thursday23rd Mar 2023
News Xbox Co-Creator Reveals He Talked To Microsoft About Classic Console Idea
He first tweeted about it two years ago
Our friends at Time Extension recently got a chance to sit down with Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley as part of an exclusive interview (you can find more excerpts over on their site), and something he revealed was that he's actually talked to a couple of employees at Microsoft about the idea of creating a...
Tuesday28th Feb 2023
Deals All 60+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 28 - March 7)
A big selection of original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles
We've got good news if you're a fan of classic original Xbox and Xbox 360 games, as it's a big week for backwards compatible deals on the Xbox Store! This is primarily thanks to the massive Xbox Super Saver Sale that went live earlier today, bringing us some true Xbox classics with discounts of up...
Tuesday21st Feb 2023
News OG Xbox Live Replacement 'Insignia' Continues To Grow With 11 New Supported Games
Online multiplayer is back
You're probably well aware of Insignia at this point - it's a new replacement service for Xbox Live 1.0 on the original Xbox - and the good news is that it's continued to add new supported titles throughout the early part of 2023. When we last mentioned Insignia, the supported list sat at around 40 games, but we're going...
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games Included In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 21-28)
Some fantastic OG Xbox & Xbox 360 titles!
Another set of Xbox deals has just gone live on the Xbox Store which means another round of backwards compatible discounts from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras to get stuck into! We've got some great Xbox & Xbox 360 classics on sale this week, including a sizeable collection of Rockstar titles...
Saturday11th Feb 2023
Pick One Which Of These Xbox Classics Would You Remaster?
Tough choices
When Pure Xbox relaunched back in early 2020, one of the things we used to do as part of these weekly "Pick One" features was to ask the PX community which classic Xbox games they'd like to see remastered. We did a bunch of these over a number of weeks, and the first three games that came out as winners were The Simpsons Hit &...
Wednesday11th Jan 2023
Random Prince Harry Makes Headlines With Story About Diana Buying Him An Xbox
He says he has "no idea if it's true", and it can't be!
It's not often we find ourselves talking about Prince Harry and Xbox in the same sentence, but here we are! The British royal family member has published his memoir (called "Spare") this week, and he's making some headlines in the UK for a comment about receiving an Xbox in the late 90s. As...
Tuesday10th Jan 2023
Deals All Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (January 10-17)
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
Alongside the huge selection of new Xbox sales this week, we've once again been treated to a variety of discounts for some classic Xbox 360 games (and one original Xbox title), available at up to 85% off. Below, you'll find a list of every single backwards compatible game on sale on the Xbox Store from January...
Monday9th Jan 2023
News The Rock Looks Back On Unveiling The Original Xbox 22 Years Ago
"What a journey for Xbox"
Can you believe it's been 22 years since we first locked eyes on the Original Xbox? Yep, back at CES 2001, Microsoft unveiled this beast of a machine courtesy of Bill Gates and The Rock. More than two decades later, the famous actor has been reminiscing about the console's grand reveal. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been...
Wednesday21st Dec 2022
Deals All Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (December 20-27)
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The latest set of new Xbox sales went live earlier this week in the form of Deals with Gold and Spotlight offers, which sit alongside the massive ongoing Xbox Countdown Sale. We also got treated to a few extra reductions on backwards compatible OG Xbox and Xbox 360 games, including for the likes of Assassin's...
News Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement Adds More Supported Titles, 40 Games Now Playable
With more to come in the New Year
If you're wondering how progress has been coming along on the Insignia project for the original Xbox, the news is that the team are still working extremely hard on adding new supported titles, with plenty of additions in December already. The list of supported games now sits at 40, with new titles including DOOM 3,...
Friday16th Dec 2022
Deals All 40+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2022
Tons of original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Countdown Sale 2022 has officially begun, treating us to discounts for over 800 games across Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Even Elden Ring has been reduced this time around! <related ids="142699"> As you'd expect, we've also got plenty of backwards compatible games in the Xbox...
Tuesday13th Dec 2022
Deals All Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (December 13-20)
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
Update: You'll also now find more backwards compatible offers in the Xbox Countdown Sale 2022: <related ids="142699"> Original story: This week's Xbox sales have now gone live, and although the current selection of deals is somewhat limited, there are some really good backwards compatible games from the...
Thursday17th Nov 2022
Deals All 40+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2022
A wide array of Xbox 360 classics
As you may have already seen, the Xbox Black Friday Sale 2022 got underway earlier today, bringing us hundreds and hundreds of discounts on everything from tiny indie games to the latest major AAA behemoths. <related ids="141212"> Of course, we've also got some backwards compatible games from the Xbox 360...
Wednesday16th Nov 2022
News The Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement Is Out Now, And It's Adding 3 More Games Next Week
"A lot of time and effort went into this"
Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of Xbox Live, and it also marked the return of Xbox Live 1.0 for the original Xbox in the form of an unofficial replacement service called Insignia, which has launched in beta form for a few thousand people. The service, which requires a fairly complicated softmod of...
Tuesday15th Nov 2022
Soapbox It's Been 20 Years Since Xbox Live Launched, And It Brings Back Some Fond Memories
We salute you!
20 years ago to the day, Microsoft launched Xbox Live, just a year after its first ever console hit the market. It was a momentous day for gaming, as the console world took a gargantuan leap towards mass adoption for online play. Admittedly, I'm a bit young to have too many memories of its initial launch, but Xbox Live in general...
Feature 21 Today! The Original Xbox Hits Legal Drinking Age In The US
First round on me
Today's the day for the original Xbox! Yes, believe it or not, Microsoft's very first gaming console is now 21 years of age, originally launching all the way back on November 15, 2001. We have some very fond memories of the OG Xbox, from its star-studded reveal presentations to its uniquely chonky design, and who can forget the...
Thursday3rd Nov 2022
News The New Version Of Xbox Live 1.0 Will Now Support 25 Games At Launch
More titles added to the list!
We've been going on about Insignia, the replacement service for Xbox Live on the original Xbox, for some time now, and that's simply because it looks really cool! The beta launch date is less than two weeks away, and it's just added a few extra games to its launch lineup, with more set to be added every month in the...
Monday24th Oct 2022
News Xbox Live 1.0 Is Coming Back, And Signups Are Now Available
Insignia launches its Beta next month!
Last week, we provided an update on the progress of Insignia, which is a replacement service for Xbox Live 1.0 on the original Xbox. Now, signups for the beta are finally available, with the playtest set to begin on November 15th, 2022. To get involved, you'll need to head to the Insignia website and request...
Monday17th Oct 2022
News The New Version Of Xbox Live 1.0 Will Now Support 17 Games At Launch
A replacement service known as "Insignia"
A few months ago, you may remember that the replacement for the original Xbox Live 1.0 (known as "Insignia") revealed its launch lineup of 13 games, but now we've also got a few more to add to the finalised list. Taking to Twitter last week, the team confirmed that Conker: Live and Reloaded, Dance Dance...
Wednesday31st Aug 2022
News OG Xbox Creator Reveals The Type Of Games He Still Plays In 2022
"Games will always be a central part of my life"
One of the creators of the original Xbox, Seamus Blackley (often dubbed the "Father of Xbox"), recently appeared on the latest episode of the Xbox Expansion Podcast, where he had all sorts of things to say in an hour-long interview. Blackley talked about his beginnings at Microsoft and joining the...
Thursday4th Aug 2022
News Almost 20 Years Later, 'Nearly Unbeatable' Halo 2 Challenge Finally Beaten
Never give up
It's been way more than a 'hot minute' since Halo 2 released, but that hasn't stopped folks playing it since release in 2004. Of course, its inclusion in Halo: The Master Chief Collection probably helped, but it hardly needed any help, did it? Having said all that, this is not something we expected to read in August 2022... After 18...
Monday25th Jul 2022
News OG Xbox On Steam Deck Shows Why We Need A Dedicated Xbox Handheld
Microsoft, make it so
The open nature of Valve's Steam Deck handheld is turning the hardware into something more than Steam-on-the-go. Users are starting to emulate various other systems on the device, including the original Xbox, although it's safe to say the experience could be improved. One such user is YouTuber MVG, who has taken a look at OG...
Monday18th Jul 2022
News Xbox Live 1.0 Is Getting A Replacement, And It'll Support 13 Games At Launch
Online multiplayer returns to the original Xbox!
If you've been following us here at Pure Xbox for a couple of years, you'll probably recall something called Insignia. It was announced back in 2020 as a replacement for the original Xbox Live, which sadly shut down in 2010. The team has been slowly chipping away at Insignia since then, and plenty of...
Friday15th Jul 2022
News Footage Revealed Of 'Long-Lost' Xbox Exclusive That Phil Spencer Was Forced To Cancel
From the studio behind Star Wars: X-Wing
We've been treated to details on a "long-lost" Xbox exclusive courtesy of Axios and Totally Games, and it just so happens that cancelling the game was apparently Phil Spencer's first assignment on the Xbox gaming team. The game was known as Knights of Decayden, but it had a working title of Archipelago, and...
