Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition: a translucent green throwback for the console's 25th birthday
Microsoft is releasing a limited-edition Xbox Series X to mark 25 years since the original console launched on November 21, 2001. The Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition arrives November 2026 with a translucent OG Green shell — the first see-through design on the Series X line — and a matching wireless controller shipping a month earlier in October. If you want one, act fast: the 2021 20th-anniversary controller sold out across US retailers in under three hours, per BitsfromBytes.
The look
The translucent green casing is the whole point here. Microsoft is directly referencing the original Xbox's industrial design, and the controller leans into that even harder. The Xbox Wireless Controller X25 Special Edition brings back colored ABXY buttons — they've been a single muted color for years — and Duke-style black-and-white bumpers that echo the original controller layout. A transparent battery door reveals the classic Xbox logo underneath. It's cosmetic through and through, which is exactly the point for a collector's piece.
The specs — no surprises
The Series X25 carries identical hardware to the current standard Series X: same CPU and GPU, 1TB storage, no performance bump. Microsoft isn't pitching this as an upgrade. It's a collector's edition aimed squarely at long-time Xbox fans, not players chasing frame rates. The November 2026 launch also signals that Project Helix — Microsoft's next-generation Xbox — isn't arriving before 2027 at the earliest, leaving this anniversary console to hold the holiday 2026 slot.
Price and availability
Official pricing hasn't been announced. Based on the Galaxy Black Edition comparison, The Shortcut estimates around $749.99 for the console and $89.99 for the controller — sitting between the standard Series X ($649.99) and Galaxy Black ($799.99). Microsoft has confirmed a launch in "select markets" but hasn't named specific retailers or opened pre-orders yet. Given how quickly anniversary hardware sells out, it's worth watching Microsoft's official channels closely once pre-orders go live — likely sometime in September 2026.