The original Xbox One console has gone out of stock for the last time

With incremental improvements now being commonplace for consoles, rather than simply replacing them, some would argue that the era of console ‘generations’ is coming to a close. Of the current crop of devices, the PS4 is on its second and third iterations, while the Xbox One is due to launch its third version, the One X, this November. Nintendo’s handheld 3DS has been reimagined and reinvented multiple times and is still selling well.

That said, it doesn’t mean that the traditional console funeral must end. The PS2, the world’s best selling console, was widely mourned when it was finally discontinued in 2013. In 2003, the launch of the GameBoy Advance was a bittersweet moment, as it brought the curtain down on the life of the original GameBoy, which had come to define the handheld console landscape.

This week, we can consign another console to that great pre-owned section in the sky.

The original Xbox One console wasn’t without its share of controversies. A high launch price, part of which was down to the obligatory bundle with the Kinect sensor, put many off. The same was true of the original requirement for the console to be permanently connected to the internet in order to function, as well as restrictions on re-selling and buying pre-owned games.

As Microsoft rowed back on several of these issues and removed Kinect from future bundles, the original One console settled into its groove and sold relatively well, albeit not at the same rate as the PS4.

However, in-mid 2016 the Xbox One S launched. Smaller, more powerful and an overall better device, the One S usurped the original One in every way and sounded the death knell for the first version of the console.

And now, with the model having ceased production, it’s time to say goodbye. This week saw the final confirmation that the original One had reached the end of its relatively short life with Microsoft’s own store officially listing it as out of stock. We have had it confirmed that it won’t be coming back.

So it’s farewell to Xbox One version 1. Now beings an exciting 30 year period for those in possession of the now defunct consoles as they eagerly wait to see if they gain any appreciable value as a kitsch retro item.