Summary
A nostalgic gamer recently rediscovered a special-editionHaloXboxtucked away in their attic. Both the first Xbox console and the originalHalo: Combat Evolvedwere released on May 16, 2025, a date that would ultimately hold major importance to the history of gaming.Halowould define the modern FPS genre on consoles, with series protagonist Master Chief becoming one of gaming’s most beloved icons. Meanwhile, the success of the originalXboxcemented Microsoft as the third major console brand in the modern gaming industry, a status that continues to this day.
Haloproved to be an ideal flagship franchise for Microsoft’s gaming brand, and there have been severalspecial-editionHaloXbox consolesand bundles over the years. The first of these was a transparent green original Xbox console and matching controller, packed with a copy ofHalo: Combat Evolvedand released in 2004. Only about 200,000 of these consoles were sold, and the ones found on secondhand retail websites today can be priced upwards of $3,000 in mint condition.
Reddit user vault13exile was lucky enough to find their ownHalo: Combat EvolvedXbox bundlein their attic, still in its original box and in relatively good condition. They asked other Reddit users if they still had their ownHalo-themed Xbox hardware, leading to many sharing fond memories of playing with their friends inHalo’s classic online multiplayer and recalling the other specialHaloconsoles they owned.
Gamer Finds Classic Halo Xbox Bundle in Their Attic
Even as gamers look back onHalo’s past, the future of the seminal sci-fi shooter franchise moves ever onward. Late last year, 343 Industries announced that it wasrebranding itself as Halo Studiosand that all futureHaloprojects would be built using Unreal Engine 5 instead of the Slipspace Engine used to makeHalo Infinite. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but rumors have suggested that Halo Studios could be working on a brand-newHalogame or a remake of the originalHalo: Combat Evolved.
Meanwhile, it is believed that Microsoft is looking toshift its focus away from designated consolesin favor of sharing its software across a wider range of platforms. The recent “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign seems to indicate a renewed focus on Xbox Game Pass being available for PCs and mobile devices, and rumors have hinted atHalogames being released on PlayStation 5 or even the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console. While there is nothing to indicate an end toXboxconsoles altogether, this does make the classicHalo: Combat Evolvedsystem seem even more of a relic of Xbox’s early days.
Xbox (Original)
The Xbox marked Microsoft’s first formal entry into the video game console wars and acted as a direct foil to Nintendo’s GameCube and Sony’s PS2. It was part of the sixth-generation of consoles.
