Windows Central Insider
Xbox is Microsoft's gaming division. Launched in 2001 with the original Xbox console (presented by Bill Gates and The Rock, no less), the division has gone through multiple permutations on its journey to its current form. Originally envisioned as a device that could bring Windows to the living room, Xbox eventually competed more directly with PlayStation targeting core gamers.
Xbox had solid success in the United States and other English-speaking markets, buoyed by heavy hitters like Halo and Forza, alongside various heavy hitting third-party exclusive titles. Microsoft's Xbox is responsible for various gaming innovations that are now commonplace. Online live infrastructure, "games as a service" titles, subscription services, and cloud-first business models owe at least something to initiatives spearheaded by Microsoft (for better or worse).
In 2013, Microsoft's push to turn Xbox into a digital-first entertainment center saw widespread pushback from the gaming community. Despite predicting trends that are now commonplace, the way Microsoft positioned Xbox back then has seen it struggle to regain the relevance it once enjoyed as a brand in a universe of increased competition from other platforms, in addition to always-on forms of entertainment and smartphone-delivered social media algorithms.
As Xbox enters its 25th year, Microsoft is once again reinventing what Xbox is with its new approach, doubling down on Windows' openness, and returning to the original vision of Windows gaming in the living room. It'll be fun to see how it pans out.
Essential Xbox reading
Latest about Xbox
Free GTA 5 upgrades have come to consoles and PC, but some Xbox players have been left out
Xbox Free next-gen upgrades for the Xbox One, "Legacy" PC, and PS4 versions of GTA 5 are here, but not for players that own a physical Xbox copy.
The MOST-wanted new Xbox Backward Compatible game is not what I expected
Xbox With Gen-Z now hitting their 20s, it should perhaps come as no surprise that Skylanders and Spyro are suddenly a hot topic once again. Xbox has a huge opportunity here, will they rise to meet it?
Gears of War: E-Day to get its first playable demo at Gamescom 2026
Xbox Gears of War fans will be getting their first taste of E-Day through a playable demo at Gamescom 2026.
Xbox announced Senua to "help draw investor interest" to developer Ninja Theory
Xbox Microsoft and Xbox showed Ninja Theory's new Hellblade game Senua at Xbox Games Showcase to "help draw investor interest" ahead of plans to close it.
Microsoft: Please let your Xbox studios cook — they shouldn't be punished for previous experiments
Xbox Studios like Ninja Theory and others are reportedly on the block at Microsoft. It shouldn't be like this so soon after the Xbox Showcase.
The Call of Duty entry that everybody hated comes to Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Call of Duty: Vanguard, EA Sports FC 26, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, and more join Xbox Game Pass' second batch of titles.
Microsoft isn't looking to 'reverse course' on Xbox exclusives — but the trust delta is real
Xbox Rumors picked up over the weekend spread by anonymous forum posters that Microsoft wasn't truly committed to exclusive games. Microsoft has denied them.
Xbox studios Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and others "at risk of being shuttered"
Xbox Microsoft and Xbox may soon close several of its game studios as part of a planned reorganization of the brand's business, according to a new report.
Microsoft and Xbox are closing South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games
Xbox As Microsoft and Xbox prepare for a huge business reset, it reportedly has plans to shut down South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games.
Microsoft is gearing up to let you spread the cost of Xbox purchases — partnering with Klarna and PayPal
Xbox Microsoft is exploring ways to help Xbox customers manage the cost of living crisis, adding the ability to split costs in over weeks or even monthly instalment payments "interest free."
