Original Xbox News
Random Xbox Owner Discovers Evidence Of Unreleased Far Cry Port
"I had to do a double take"
All the way back in the original Xbox generation, we never actually got a proper version of Far Cry 1 on the OG Xbox console. Instead, 2004's Far Cry Instincts was a different take on the game (it technically served as a remake), and we had to wait another 10 years for FC1 to arrive on Xbox 360 in the form of Far Cry...
News All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2025
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Spring Sale for 2025 has been revealed in full, and as usual for these massive sales, we've got loads of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that have been discounted as part of it. So, in the table below, we've picked out every single backwards compatible deal (from...
News OG Xbox Creator Shares His Thoughts On The State Of The Brand In 2025
"There's a change coming..."
It's always great to hear from original Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley and his thoughts on the brand, so we were excited to come across a new interview that he conducted as part of the My Perfect Console podcast earlier this week. There's a lot to dig into in the full podcast, including how he believes that Xbox would...
Random Xbox Fans Are Still Playing The Original Halo 2 Online In 2025
21 years since it first released
The original version of Halo 2 that arrived on the OG Xbox back in 2004 no longer supports online multiplayer (due to the Xbox Live servers being turned off years ago), but thanks to Insignia, it's getting a new lease of life in 2025. Over the weekend, a bunch of excited Halo fans took to social media to show off...
Soapbox Xbox Should Start Embracing Its Past A Whole Lot More
We have history together, MS
It's no secret, Xbox is changing. After a wild 2024 that firmly pushed Xbox towards full multiplatform territory, we're all slowly getting used to Microsoft's new vision for the brand. In theory, I don't take too much issue with change — it's inevitable some day, in some form — but one thing I'd love to see more...
Talking Point It's Now Been 24 Years Since Bill Gates & The Rock Unveiled The Xbox
We could all smell what they were cookin'
Xbox fans around the world... it's officially been 24 years to the day since The Rock joined Bill Gates in unveiling the original Xbox! Yep, this big old chunky plastic box has been in our hearts and minds for almost a quarter of a century at this point, so we thought now's a good time to look back at the...
Deals All 60+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2024
Grab some discounted classics!
Xbox's 2024 Countdown Sale is now live and has been since late last week, with over 1000 games discounted in total on the Microsoft Store. As usual, a chunk of the full list is focused on backwards compatible classics - with plenty of OG Xbox and Xbox 360 titles featured. So, down below we've gathered up every...
Feature The Original Xbox Is Now 23 Years Old, But It's Still Relevant In So Many Ways
Has it really been that long?!
This week, we've heard Microsoft talking about this whole idea of every gaming device being an Xbox, which in some ways marks the end of an era that began with the original Xbox in 2001 - the era of the console being the core focus of Microsoft's gaming division. Realistically it's been that way for some time, but...
News OG Xbox Creator Recalls 'Extraordinary' Story About The Launch That Left Him In Tears
"Is this real? Is this going to happen now?"
We always love hearing from the legend that is Seamus Blackley, and the original Xbox co-creator has been speaking to the LegendsNLeaders YouTube channel this week, where he's been discussing the launch of the OG console. There's a lot to dig into in the show itself, but we wanted to highlight a bit that...
News This Incredible Xbox Handheld Supports 1000+ Games, No Emulation Required
It even uses a real OG Xbox motherboard!
While we wait for Microsoft to reveal details on the Xbox handheld that's seemingly in the works, one Xbox fan has took it upon themselves to make a custom device based on the original console - and it looks incredible at first glance! This Xbox fan goes by the name of Redherring32 on social media, and as...
News Microsoft Is 'Building Plans' For The 25th Anniversary Of Xbox And Halo
"We’re building plans for the 25th anniversary"
By the time 2026 rolls around, the original Xbox and its seminal debut of Halo will be 25 years old, and just like 2021 — where the pair hit 20 years of age — Microsoft has big plans for the upcoming anniversary. Speaking in a new interview with License Global, head of Xbox gaming consumer...
Talking Point What Are Your Fondest Memories Of The Original Xbox?
Any highlights to share with us?
It's amazing to think that the original Xbox is almost 23 years old! We have loads of amazing memories of that console, but realistically we'll also have plenty of Pure Xbox readers who weren't even born when it came out in 2001! So, to finish off the week, we're interested to know what memories you have of the...
News New Xbox Bug Causes Backwards Compatibility Issue For Some Games
But a previous multiplayer issue has now been fixed
Let's start with the good news - you know that issue we reported on Monday about some players being unable to access multiplayer features following the August update? Xbox has already pushed out an update to fix it. However, we've now got a new one. As reported by various Xbox fans over the past...
News Original 'S Model' Xbox Controller Returns For Series X|S This August
Update: Pre-orders have begun!
Update (Tue 16th Jul, 2024): Well, we've passed the pre-order date, which means the Hyperkin DuchesS Xbox controller is now available to buy from some retailers! We'll throw a couple of links down below if you're interested in getting one. Keep in mind that the controller comes in both black and white variants - you...
News Hallmark's Musical Xbox Ornament Sounds Like A Must-Buy This Christmas
Update: It's available now!
Update (Mon 15th Jul, 2024): Just a quick update to say this ornament is now officially available to buy! You can grab it via the Hallmark US website (as shown down below), and it seems to be proving very popular already. <products id="26461"> Original story (Mon 15th Apr, 2024): Yes, it's a bit early to start...
Soapbox I Miss The Type Of Pick-Up-And-Play Games We Got On Original Xbox
Waking up to a new realisation
This past weekend, I took a couple of days off work for a short break, but as I've recently learnt in life, Xbox soon finds me again in some fashion. This time out, a browse of a retro game shop saw me picking up gunboat warfare title Blood Wake on the original Xbox, and it's making me miss this era so bloody much...
News The Incredible 'ESPN NFL 2K5' Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary This Month
Considered by many to be the best NFL game ever
We're based in the UK here at Pure Xbox, so American football might not be our specialty, but we've spent the past two decades hearing about how ESPN NFL 2K5 is the best NFL game ever, so we want to celebrate its 20th anniversary! Yes, July 20th will mark the exact 20-year point for this classic...
News Unreleased OG Xbox Game 'The Invincible Ironman' Appears Online
With some very cool footage!
This week, a bunch of gameplay clips from a completely unreleased original Xbox game have appeared online. Once titled 'The Invincible Ironman' and worked on way back in 2003, the OG Xbox project was eventually cancelled - but these clips show that the team at GenePool Software really did have something going with this...
Random Xbox Owner Turns Original Console Into Powerful Gaming PC
"The system runs like a dream"
It's amazing what you can do with an original Xbox! Almost 25 years since the console first arrived, it's still getting plenty of use in 2024... and for one person in particular, it's even being repurposed as a powerful modern gaming PC. That person is Subject-Historian-70 on Reddit, who has taken to the platform to...
News Cancelled OG Xbox Game 'Captain Blood' Makes Its Comeback This Fall
Almost a quarter of a century later
Fancying a bit of an early 2000s throwback on your Xbox Series X|S console later this year? Well, publisher SNEG has pulled Captain Blood from the jaws of death for a Fall 2024 release - a game that was first in development for the original Xbox. This is an old school hack-and-slash game with a distinct pirate...
News OG Xbox Creator: I Believe In Xbox, Despite This Week's 'Tragic' Job Losses
"I’m confident this isn’t the end of the story"
Everyone's got an opinion about the Xbox studio closures that have taken place this week, and that includes the so-called "father of the Xbox" Seamus Blackley, who was there at the very beginning of the brand's existence. In a nutshell, Blackley feels sorry for everyone that's been caught up in...
Feature Red Dead Is Now 20 Years Old, So We Played The Xbox Original For The Very First Time
Revolvers at the ready
This past weekend, Rockstar's Red Dead franchise officially became 20 years old in North America, having first arrived on the scene way back in May 2004. Here at Pure Xbox HQ we have strong connections to Rockstar's rootin' tootin' romp of a series - especially with Red Dead Redemption for Xbox 360 and Xbox One's Red Dead...
News Original Xbox 'XBHD' Adapter Gets Promotional Price Drop
"Excited to get the XBHD in the hands of OG Xbox fans"
EON Gaming's plug-and-play OG Xbox adapter — the XBHD — is getting a promotional price drop at the moment, in partnership with Castlemania Games. The US-based, retro-focused store is currently selling the XBHD for $99, down from the listed retail price of $150. Now, we're not sure how long...
Deals All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2024
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Spring Sale 2024 is now officially in full swing, and as usual for these massive sales, we've got a whole bunch of backwards compatible classics from the OG Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that have been discounted as well! So, in the table below, we've picked out every single backwards compatible deal (from...
News Xbox's OG Creator Appears To Be Up To Something With The Prototype Model
"Stay tuned"
Don't get too excited, but one of the creators of the Xbox seems to be teasing something to do with a prototype of the original system. Yes, remember the giant chrome X-shaped design originally showcased before the actual retail console? Well, Seamus Blackley (often referred to as "the father of Xbox") has shared a post on social...
News Insignia Is Bringing Halo 2 Online Multiplayer Back To The Original Xbox
"This is a major milestone on our list now complete"
We've talked a few times about the Xbox Live 1.0 replacement service "Insignia" at Pure Xbox over the past couple of years, and it continues to go from strength-to-strength, with the latest announcement being a particularly exciting one! Yes, Halo 2 for the original Xbox is getting online...
News 'Halo Spartan Edition' Original Xbox Adapter Announced By XBHD Maker
Xbox in HD, now through a little green Halo box
EON Gaming has announced another version of its 'XBHD' adapter; a plug-and-play device that allows for HDMI-powered high definition gaming on the original Xbox. This new version carries over all the 2023 edition's features - except this time it's housed in a beautiful 'Halo Spartan Edition' green...
Random 'Hello Kitty' Xbox Sells For $10,000 On eBay, Despite Being Broken
An ultra rare variant of the OG Xbox
How much would you pay for an ultra rare Xbox console? Earlier today, a special variant of the original Xbox sold for a whopping $10,050 US dollars in an eBay auction - and the console itself doesn't even work! The reason this is so expensive is because it's part of the "Hello Kitty Collector's Edition", which...
News All 30+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 20-27)
Up to 85% off!
Tuesday rolls around again, which means a fresh set of deals are live on the Xbox Store. It's a fairly slim update this week, but we still have some huge games discounted right now - including highlights from an EA Publisher Sale. <related ids="162413"> As usual, tucked in here is a solid selection of OG Xbox and Xbox 360...
Talking Point Are There Any OG Xbox Remasters You're Dying To See On Series X|S?
Tomb Raider has us feeling all nostalgic
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered is officially out today, marking the arrival of three PS1 classics on Xbox consoles. We're very happy to see these old school third-person adventures finally land on Xbox - if you'd like to read our full review on the collection, check out the link below! <related...
News 'Retro Fighters' Releases Brand-New Wireless OG Xbox Controller For 2024
Old meets new
Fancy some wireless gaming on your original Xbox in 2024? Well, you might be in luck. Third-party manufacturer Retro Fighters has just released a brand-new OG Xbox controller this month - and it's a fully wireless effort for Microsoft's 2001 console! Named the 'Hunter', this new pad certainly looks the part. Fusing elements of current...
Deals All 50+ Backwards Compatible Games In Xbox's Lunar New Year Sale 2024
Featuring some hefty discounts!
Xbox's big Lunar New Year Sale has just gone live, which means hundreds of new deals are now available on the Microsoft Store. In and amongst these deals are some great discounts on Xbox backwards compatible titles - across the OG Xbox and Xbox 360 libraries. <related ids="161386"> So, here are all the new...
News The Original Xbox 'S Controller' Is Being Remade By Hyperkin
First the Duke, now the Duchess
Hyperkin has been on a bit of a roll in recent years when it comes to Xbox nostalgia. It all started with the company making an officially licensed 'Duke' controller for Xbox One, before the team brought back '05 with a remake of the Xbox 360 controller earlier this year. Now, they're going back to the original Xbox...
News Retro Gaming Store Wants Help Designing OG Xbox Shells For 2024 Launch
"Yes, we are going to make it in 2024"
Remember when translucent gaming products were a big thing? Sure, we've had a few official Xbox controllers recently that are carrying that retro-inspired torch, but back in the day almost every gaming platform had some see-through tech to show off. Well, third-party manufacturer 'Retro Game Restore' is looking...
Review EON XBHD - A Sleek OG Xbox Adapter That's Just Too Expensive To Recommend
High definition dollars
The original Xbox was an incredibly impressive bit of kit when it launched back in 2001, and at the time it was one of the most powerful gaming machines on the market. We've moved on a lot since then of course, but somewhat surprisingly, OG Xbox games actually hold up quite well in 2023. The biggest issue these days is...
News Xbox Series X|S Sales Have Now Surpassed Original Xbox In The UK
Roughly three years in
Xbox Series X and S have seemingly hit a new sales milestone in the UK this month. According to Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz, Microsoft's pair of current-gen consoles have now sold more units in the region than the OG Xbox. Considering we're only three years into the gen, this seems pretty good going - although Xbox...
News Team Green Reflects On 22 Years Since The Birth Of Xbox
"Thank you to everyone who has been party of this journey"
Yesterday we celebrated Xbox's 22nd birthday - yep, the big green machine is now 22 years of age, as is the Xbox brand as a whole! As you'd probably expect, some of Xbox's public-facing execs have commented on the big anniversary too, and we're feeling all warm and fuzzy inside thinking back...
News Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement 'Insignia' Now Supports 150 Games
And it's just celebrated its first birthday!
Remember Insignia? This is a free replacement for the original version of Xbox Live on the OG Xbox, and since the last time we talked about it here at Pure Xbox, it's continued to add countless new supported titles to its library. In fact, with its first birthday taking place this week, Insignia now...
News This Nostalgic Xbox Home Video Footage Now Has Over 4 Million Views On YouTube
It's a great excuse to watch it again!
Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the original Xbox's launch, and therefore we're once again thinking about this incredible bit of home video footage from YouTuber My Retro Life which first surfaced a few years ago. In the video, you can see Tyler of My Retro Life opening up the original Xbox on November...
Talking Point Today Marks 22 Years Of Xbox As OG Console Celebrates A Big Birthday
Happy birthday to the big green machine
The big 22! Yep, Xbox is now 22 years of age as Microsoft launched its first ever gaming console on November 15th, 2001. We still remember the days of the OG Xbox very fondly, and what came after has been an amazing ride for Xbox fans around the world. It's always weird to think that whenever we talk about...
News 'Karma Is A B*tch'! Original Xbox Creator Talks Activision Takeover
His comments have racked up over 1M views!
This past Friday marked an important milestone in the history of Xbox as Microsoft closed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and original Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley had some words to share following the announcement. Blackley took to Twitter to point out the "karma" involved in Activision CEO...
News 'Crash Vs. Spyro Racing' Prototype Discovered On Original Xbox Devkit
This would have been amazing!
These old Xbox finds just keep on coming! Earlier this month, YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer discovered an unreleased original Xbox classic lying around on an old devkit hard drive, and now he's at it again with another retro find. This time out, MVG has unearthed some sort of prototype for a 'Crash vs. Spyro' kart...
News Original Xbox 'Plug-And-Play' Adapter Delivers HD Gaming This October
At a cost, mind you
We love a good throwback here at Pure Xbox, especially when aimed at the underrated original Xbox console that still surprises us with its impressive visuals to this day. But, what if you could instantly make those visuals pop on a HDTV? Well, third-party manufacturer EON thinks it has the answer to that. Introducing the XBHD, a...
News Unreleased Original Xbox Game Discovered Thanks To Old Devkit
From a 2006 build!
Well, this isn't something you see every day, is it? Retro fanatic and gaming preservation guru Modern Vintage Gamer recently got hold of an original Xbox devkit hard drive that contained some curious goodies within - including a completely unreleased OG Xbox game! Yep, this mystery hard drive held a prototype version of 'The...
News All 80+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2023
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2023 is officially underway, featuring discounts for over 700 games including a whole bunch of major AAA releases. You can even get some fantastic games for up to 90% off! <related ids="152665,152692"> As you'd expect, the Ultimate Game Sale also includes lots of backwards...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (July 11-18)
Grab a cheap Xbox classic
Xbox's latest set of weekly deals is now live, and even though it's a pretty small selection this week (we're expecting a huge Summer Sale to begin shortly), there's still a good chunk of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that are heavily discounted right now on the Xbox Store. So,...
News Lost Xbox-Related Gameplay Footage From Yesteryear Appears Online
Including never-before-seen clips!
Games media outlet Noclip has begun digitising a bunch of old press conference gameplay footage from years gone by, with the results now appearing on the outlet's YouTube archive channel. There are some super cool videos in here, including a full HD Xbox E3 press conference from the 360 days, and even...
Deals All Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (June 27 - July 4)
It's a small selection this week!
As usual, we've got a few classics from the Xbox 360 era that are included as part of this week's Xbox sales, and all of them are playable on modern consoles - so that means Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S! Below, you'll find the complete list (it's a small one this week!) of backwards compatible games in...
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (June 20-27)
Grab some Xbox 360 classics
We've got a big batch of great offers included as part of this week's Xbox sales, and as usual that means there are a couple of handfuls' worth of classic Xbox 360 titles that you can take advantage of. As indicated by the headline, all of these will work on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Below, you'll find...
Talking Point Is There An Xbox Classic You Wish Was Backwards Compatible?
Come tell us which!
Xbox wrapped up its backwards compatibility program a while ago now - during the big 20th anniversary event in November 2021. At the time, some great titles were added in one final wave — like the FEAR series among others — and we've felt pretty satisfied with the overall lineup since, especially when it comes to Xb
