It was more than 25 years ago on Jan. 3, 2001, when Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went on stage to unveil the first Xbox. It was 10 months later when that console went on sale, and Microsoft has been a major player in the gaming industry since. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Xbox is going back to its roots, although at what cost?
Microsoft revealed its 25th anniversary collection for the Xbox called the Xbox Series X25 during its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. The special edition console and controller will come in translucent “OG” green, which is what the original was known for, and will include little Easter eggs inside.
The Xbox Series X console comes with 1TB of storage and a design inspired by the original Xbox. Along with it comes the Xbox Wireless Controller X25 Special Edition which is in translucent green and has the original colors for the face buttons, including black and white bumpers, as well as the original Xbox logo on the back.
Microsoft didn’t provide a price or a specific availability date for the special edition hardware, but it will be sometime in November. More details are supposed to be available soon, but the company did say the limited hardware would only be available in certain markets.
The big question on these limited edition items is going to be the price. Microsoft already increased the price of the Xbox Series console multiple times in the past year, initially due to tariffs but also due to the surge in memory and storage pricing. The 1TB Xbox Series X already costs $100 more now than it did when it launched back in 2020. Microsoft may attempt to subsidize the cost of the console, due to the anniversary, and sell it for less, as it likely won’t have much stock of these special editions, but the company could go the other way and have these cost more than standard versions, aiming for collectors.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
