55+ Amazing Microsoft Xbox One Facts

Shirin Biswas
Jan 10, 2023 By Shirin Biswas
Originally Published on Jan 07, 2022
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Fact-checked by Niyati Parab
The Xbox was the beginning of a new era in gaming.

When it comes to video games, the gaming console industry has been making many advancements.

The gaming console industry started booming in the late 20th century. This was a clear indication for the large companies to tap into the industry as well.

Microsoft jumped onto the gaming console bandwagon and released its first console, the Xbox, in the year 2001. Not only could you play games on this console, but you could also make use of the many features that came with the Microsoft software.

The Xbox One was the third version of Xbox to be released and unlike the first one, was very profitable for the company. It has sold millions of units so far and is continuing to do so with Xbox One S making its entry into the market.

Not only can you play games on Xbox One, but you can also ask it to do things such as turning itself on and off, and connecting to the television or WiFi.

History Of The Xbox

The Xbox was the beginning of a new era in gaming as Microsoft also made its entrance into the scene. By the end of the 20th century, many gaming consoles had been released and the world was already well versed with the thrill of video games.

It was in the year 1998 that four employees of Microsoft came up with the idea that it was time for the company to make its entry into the gaming console industry and the rest is history!

  • The Xbox was first conceptualized by four people who worked at Microsoft.
  • These people were Kevin Bachus, Ted Hase, Otto Berkes, and Seamus Blackley.
  • They proposed the idea to Bill Gates who immediately jumped on board.
  • Understandably, years of research and development go into a product before it can hit the market but this was not the case with Xbox.
  • It took only 20 months for the console to be prepared and become ready for release. This just shows the reach of Microsoft and the sheer power that the company has!
  • The first Xbox was a huge success in the United States.
  • Within the first season of its release worldwide, Microsoft sold over 1.5 million consoles!
  • However, the fame of Xbox and the craze around the console were not uniform everywhere.
  • The console initially sold very few units in Japan.
  • In order to deviate themselves from a sure loss in the Japanese market, the people at Microsoft slashed the prices in half.
  • It came as no surprise that as soon as the prices were slashed, people in Japan flooded the stores and saved the company from suffering huge losses.
  • Understandably, the success of the first Xbox meant that there would be more to come.
  • The second Xbox, Xbox 360, was released in the year 2005.
  • As of October 2021, the Xbox 360 has sold around 86 million units!
  • After four years of the release of the first Xbox, only around 21 million units of the console were sold.
  • Hence, the popularity of Xbox can be seen to have grown exponentially over the years!
  • The original Xbox was actually slightly less profitable for Microsoft.
  • The release date of the original Xbox was November 15, 2001.

Hardware And Software

Xbox One was the third version of Xbox to be released. Xbox One not only allowed people to play games but also had specifications that would enable screen share at the same time.

There were many more specifications of the Xbox One which were quite impressive and acted as reasons for people to play digital games on this spectacular model!

  • The Xbox One is powered by an 8 core CPU.
  • This member of the Xbox series has a system memory of 8 GB, which is shared by the CPU and GPU.
  • Xbox One also has an impressive 500 GB hard-disk drive or HDD.
  • One of the most amazing features is that it allows HDMI input.
  • This new Xbox also has the option for wireless connection through WiFi direct.
  • Even though the Xbox One allows you to play games offline, make sure to connect it with WiFi at least once every 24 hours to keep it going!
  • It uses a USB 3.0 port.
  • The Xbox controller is checked rigorously.
  • An Xbox One controller's buttons are pushed two million times by a robotic hand which is made to mimic the actions of an angry gamer.
  • This makes sure that the user can experience console gaming for at least seven years even if they get angry and press the buttons way too hard during a lost game!
  • The Xbox One has a voice recognition feature.
  • Xbox Live has always been an important part of the Xbox series.
  • The Kinect port in Xbox One is improved and provides an array of new features.
  • The Kinect feature will save your information such as your Gamertag and Xbox Live credentials if you play on your friend's console.
  • Xbox Live provides memberships. The Gold membership provides the most amount of added features!
  • Through software emulation, the supported games from Xbox 360 can also be played on Xbox One.

Amazing Facts About Xbox One

Xbox games sure are famous and there's a chance that you might have played some of them, but did you know that this version had many new features that set milestones for other gaming consoles to achieve?

  • Xbox One runs on no less than 300,000 servers.
  • This is quite amazing keeping in mind that in 1999, the world didn't even have that many servers worldwide.
  • More than 200 controller prototypes were created by Microsoft when designing Xbox One.
  • Kinect for Xbox One can sense even the slightest wrist movements.
  • Kinect can also detect your moods, such as whether you are happy, sad, or angry!
  • The standard Xbox One came with the latest version of Skype.
  • The Skype feature allowed gamers to be on a video call whilst also playing their games.
  • Xbox One competes with Nintendo Switch, and the Sony Playstation 4.

What can you do on an Xbox?

There are a number of features that will compel you to invest in an Xbox One.

  • The original Xbox One can pair you with gamers.
  • Gamers are paired based on their likings in games, age, and gaming abilities.
  • The Xbox series had already troubleshot some of the problems that came with the other consoles that were in the market at the same time.
  • You can use the screen share feature and let your family watch a movie while you are playing a game.
  • Xbox struggled to compete with Playstation 4 since it did not have exclusive games to offer.
  • The latest version, Xbox One S, is much better and improved as compared to the original Xbox One.
  • Xbox One was formerly known as Xbox 720.
  • The release date for Xbox One was announced in May 2013.
  • Xbox One was released in the same month as Sony Playstation 4.
  • The gaming consoles were released around the holiday season to increase sales.
  • The Xbox One Game Pass allows you to download games.
  • The Game Pass will let you get games to play for the entire month.
  • The Game Pass feature is a paid subscription.
  • The console is named Xbox One since it was marketed as an all-in-one system.
  • You can ask your Xbox One to do things through the voice-command feature such as asking it to switch on or connect to the television.
  • The camera in the Xbox One is also much improved in comparison to the previous versions.
  • You can record games on Xbox One.
  • Xbox One saves all your history and activities to the Microsoft cloud.
  • The retail price of the very first Xbox was $299.

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Written by Shirin Biswas

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature

Shirin Biswas picture

Shirin BiswasBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature

With a degree in English from Amity University, Noida, Shirin has won awards for oratory, acting, and creative writing. She has a wealth of experience as an English teacher, editor, and writer, having previously worked at Quizzy and Big Books Publishing. Her expertise lies in editing study guides for children and creating engaging content.

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Fact-checked by Niyati Parab

Bachelor of Commerce

Niyati Parab picture

Niyati ParabBachelor of Commerce

With a background in digital marketing, Niyati brings her expertise to ensure accuracy and authenticity in every piece of content. She has previously written articles for MuseumFacts, a history web magazine, while also handling its digital marketing. In addition to her marketing skills, Niyati is fluent in six languages and has a Commerce degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University. She has also been recognized for her public speaking abilities, holding the position of Vice President of Education at the Toastmasters Club of Pune, where she won several awards and represented the club in writing and speech contests at the area level.

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