Believe it or not, Microsoft has only released a console across four generations. Despite being in the gaming business for over twenty years, we’ve only seen a handful of hardware releases over the last two decades.
Even more surprising is how up and down those consoles have been. Even within the generation, the original Xbox 360 was poorly made, but Microsoft would turn things around with an overhaul.
For the purpose of our list, we’re going to include select mid-generation updates that drastically change the power and capabilities of the Xbox console. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and rank the best Xbox consoles from worst to best.
Xbox One
Here’s the problem with Xbox One: it was a great idea with piss poor messaging. The idea of a connected multimedia ecosystem wasn’t a novel idea; they wanted to bring the PC environment to home consoles.
The issue is that they spent the entire marketing cycle leading into releasing shooting themselves in the foot. The Xbox One reveal event was all about TV, TV, and TV; there was barely a peep about games. Then came the always online DRM controversy. The nail in the coffin was poor gaming support.
There were little to no quality Xbox One exclusives; you were better off sticking with a gaming PC or a PlayStation 4.
Xbox 360
I love the Xbox 360. It’s an incredible system with incredible games, and it was the only time Microsoft was the most popular game in town.
There’s just one problem with the base model 360: it was a hunk of junk.
Everyone knows the Red Ring of Death because nearly everyone saw their 360 suffer from it. The problem was so prevalent that Microsoft replaced 360 units even though their warranty had expired.
Xbox Series S
On the one hand, the Series S is an attractive budget option that lets people experience the current console generation without paying full price. On the other hand, it’s admittedly weaker hardware.
Developers have discussed the struggles of making new games compatible with Series S, which is why I’ve placed it so low in my ranking.
Xbox One S
The Xbox One S offers the ultimate Xbox One experience without the unwanted extras at an affordable price.
Where the Xbox One failed, the One S succeeded in bringing gamers back to the Xbox ecosystem.
Original Xbox
Yes, the original Xbox was a behemoth of a system. It was large, and the Duke controller was obnoxious, but the console was ahead of its time.
People often forget how powerful this thing truly was: it blew the PS2 out of the water, and developers were releasing impressive games by the end of its lifecycle.
Best of all, the Xbox Live capabilities helped usher in the success of online gaming. The future was now, even if it looked and felt a little dated and janky.
Xbox 360 S
It’s a 360 that worked. What else do you need to know?
Okay, let’s talk a little more about the 360 S. It was affordable, had built-in WiFi, and most importantly, IT WORKED!
Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X has my favorite console feature of all time: Quick Resume.
Being able to pick up where you left off is an incredible time saver. There’s no need to wait for the game to load; you’re right back into the action.
It’s just a shame that the first party gaming lineup is lacking, but I still love my Series X.
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