Definition
Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming brand and home console family. The brand began with the original Xbox, released in North America on November 15, 2001, and continued through the Xbox 360 and Xbox One generations. The official consoles page lists the current Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S alongside Game Pass, cloud gaming, and cross-device play. See the official consoles page.
How it works
The console connects to a TV, and games come from digital purchases or a Game Pass subscription. The official page describes Series X as “the fastest, most powerful XBOX ever” and Series S as “the best value in gaming”; Series X|S supports Quick Resume and can play “games from four generations of XBOX”. Play is not limited to the console — the official site provides Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming entry points.
Usage
Console gaming, subscription play, and cross-device cloud gaming are the main scenarios. Series X|S launched on November 10, 2020 and belongs to the ninth console generation alongside Sony’s PlayStation 5, while Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch serves different play styles.
Related and confusable terms
Xbox refers both to the gaming brand and, colloquially, to a single console; the current lineup is the Series X and the Series S, whose configurations differ, and the official site offers a comparison page. Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch belong to different companies, so comparisons should be made within the same generation.
Episode discussion
In Weekly #007, in the chapter “主机游戏移植与平台的攻防” (Chinese transcript), Guizang, discussing how a platform’s exclusive lineup affects players, says Xbox is less troubled by this “because everyone on Xbox is on PC — Microsoft brought that wave of games to PC”. It is a speaker’s summary of platform strategy; the official cross-device services are described on the Xbox site. See the chapter.
Frequently asked questions
What Xbox consoles are available now?
The current models are Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, with an official comparison page; current availability is on the official consoles page.
What is Xbox Game Pass?
Microsoft’s gaming subscription, giving access to a game library across console, PC, and other devices; see the Game Pass page.
How do Xbox and PS5 compare?
They belong to Microsoft and Sony respectively; Series X|S and PlayStation 5 both launched in November 2020 in the ninth generation. Their game lineups and services differ, so compare each company’s official pages.
Sources
- Xbox official consoles page
- Xbox Game Pass official page
- Wikipedia: Xbox (brand composition and generations)
- Wikipedia: Xbox Series X and Series S (release dates)