Microsoft is set to release a limited number of Xbox Series X – X25 Special Edition consoles in honor of the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox. This eye-catching translucent green console costs $899.99 and releases on November 13. It comes with a controller in the same retro OG Xbox style, as well as a digital copy of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Preorders have started rolling out, but they’re selling out very quickly.
Here’s where you’ll be able to get it when preorders go live:
The following retailer usually sells Xbox hardware, but it doesn’t have a listing yet. If/when it does, the console should appear at this link:
Microsoft is only making 25,000 of these consoles, and each one is numbered with a unique engraving. The console itself is translucent green, giving you a glimpse at the metallic insides of the machine, and labeled with “XBOX 25” on the front. It comes with a controller done up in the same translucent “OG green” style, that calls back to the original Duke controller in a number of its details.
It has a 1TB SSD and includes a digital copy of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a full remake of the original game’s campaign, plus a few brand-new levels. IGN critic Michael Higham enjoyed it pretty well, according to his review. Overall, this is a pretty great homage to the original Xbox hardware Microsoft released on November 15, 2001.
If you don’t want the console, you can preorder the X25 Special Edition Xbox Controller separately right now — but it’s selling out fast as well.
After two console generations of falling behind, Xbox has been on something of a roll lately. While PlayStation has bungled its announcement of its switch to an all-digital future, Microsoft seems to be handling the disc-to-digital transition more smoothly. It’s kickstarting a program that will let players turn their physical games into working digital copies. Of course, Microsoft has a long way to go if it wants to get back into head-to-head competition with Sony, but it may be on the right track.
And in the meantime, Microsoft can do its most dedicated fans a solid by offering an appealing new 25th anniversary console. That is, assuming stock holds out long enough for fans can get their hands on one.
Chris Reed is a senior commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.