Original Xbox Turns 18, Here are the Top 10 Best-Selling Games on the Platform - Sales

by William D'Angelo , posted on 15 November 2019 / 12,479 Views

Microsoft's first home console, the original Xbox, turned 18 years old today. The console first launched in North America on November 15, 2001, followed by Japan on February 22, 2002 and in Europe and Australia on March 14, 2002.

The original Xbox sold 24.65 million units worldwide. Looking at the regional breakdown, it sold 15.77 million units in North America, 7.17 million units in Europe and 0.53 million million units in Japan. It also sold an additional 1.18 million units in the rest of the world.

Unsurprisingly, Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are the best-selling games on the platform. Halo 2 sold eight million units lifetime and Halo: Combat Evolved, a launch title for the Xbox, sold five million units.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is the best-selling third party game and the best-selling game on the platform not named Halo. The game sold 3.02 million units. Closely behind is Fable, the biggest non-Halo first-party game, with sales of 3 million units.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was a console exclusive to the original Xbox, as the franchise before this was released on PC. The game sold 2.86 million units on the Xbox.

The Rockstar Games Double Pack: Grand Theft Auto III & Grand Theft Auto Vice City was released one and two years, respectively, after they were individually released on the PlayStation 2. It is the sixth best-selling game with 2.49 million units sold.

Need for Speed Underground 2 is the best-selling racing game on the Xbox and the overall seventh best-selling game with 2.28 million units. Project Gotham Racing is the ninth best-selling game on the platform, as well as second best-selling racing game, with 2.12 million units sold.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic first launched as an Xbox exclusive in July 2003 before it released on Windows PC later that year. The game sold 2.19 million units on the original Xbox.

Dead or Alive 3 rounds out the top 10 best-selling original Xbox games with sales of 2.04 million units. It was a launch title for the original Xbox.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.

9 Comments

G2ThaUNiT (on 15 November 2019)

I wanted a PS2 for like a year, but it was always sold out no matter where my mom took me. My cousin gave me his Xbox that he only had for like a month because he mainly played on PS2, along with Halo: Combat Evolved, Project Gotham Racing, and Dead or Alive 3. I spent soooooooo much time playing these games that I completely forgot about the PS2! Halo is by far my favorite franchise ever and I forever thankful to my cousin for giving me his Xbox. Fantastic memories!

curl-6 (on 15 November 2019)

Having grown up with the SNES and N64, I was initially really disappointed when, in my mid teens, my folks got me and my brother an Xbox instead of the Gamecube m,y Nintendo-loving heart so desired.

Still, over time I came to appreciate the system's own virtues. I must've spent hundred of hours playing Star Wars Battlefront with mates.

SwitchUP (on 16 November 2019)

Happy birthday O.G xbox, you were an amazing console that paved the way for the next generations. It was my favorite of the generation.

m0ney (on 18 November 2019)

wow Splinter Cell in 3rd

tripenfall (on 17 November 2019)

It was massive for Microsoft to enter the console race and outsell Nintendo for that generation. This thing was a powerhouse no doubt about it and when you saw Halo for the first time you knew you were playing something special. If I have a criticism of the the XBOX (other than that awful controller) it would be that no other game bettered that original launch game IMO. Halo made me excited to see what games would come to the platform, in the end it was the pinnacle. Only Halo 2 could be a contender to be called a better game and that was a shame....