Xbox:List of Special Edition Consoles
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Over the lifespan of the Xbox, various special — or limited — editions were created to try and boost sales. The Japanese market especially received quite a few special editions due to a low amount of sales at launch in Japan. Special editions were generally the product of a partnership between a first party developer and Microsoft, though many of the painted or contest Xboxes were created by a third party either in an official distribution deal or unofficially, with only the plastic supplied by Microsoft. While official statistics on the production numbers were lost in a hard drive crash, this page stands as a "best guess" using official sources, retailer advertisements, and Microsoft personnel interviews. The full gallery of pictures can be found on Imgur.
If you have any further information or corrections on the entries here (including sources), please let us know!
First Party Special Editions
| Edition | Serial Number | Revision | Color | Features | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Launch Team Edition | 2NNNNNN 14402 | 1.0 | Translucent green | Given to Xbox Launch Team; says "Great work!" and has Bill Gates' signature on the jewel, as well as "Special Edition" on the front. Estimated 1000-2000 made. ^[2] | 
|
| Crystal Limited Edition (CAN) | 4NNNNNN 43505 4NNNNNN 43705 4NNNNNN 43805 |
1.6 | Translucent | Released in Canada as a bundle with Fable and Crimson Skies. 100,000-150,000 consoles made, covering all available regions. ^[2] | 
|
| Crystal Limited Edition (JAP) | 3NNNNNN 42806 | 1.6 | Translucent | Released in Japan. | |
| Crystal Limited Edition (PAL) | 4NNNNNN 40605 4NNNNNN 40805 |
1.4 | Translucent | Released as a second anniversary for the European release of the console. | |
| 2NNNNNN 43705 4NNNNNN 44005 |
1.6 | Translucent | Further UK releases. | ||
| Crystal Limited Edition - Jewel Variant (PAL) | 3NNNNNN 43705 5NNNNNN 43705 |
1.6 | Translucent | "Limited Edition" written on jewel. Found in Australian / New Zealand crystal packs. Likely due to the jewel being sourced by multiple different suppliers, one of which may have added this text. ^[2] | 
|
| EA Special Edition | 1823293 43406 6NNNNNN 43405 |
1.6^? | White | Given to Electronic Arts for helping support Xbox Live. EA logo and "Special Edition" printed on front in blue and a black jewel with "Xbox Live" logo. Comes with two controllers, one with a red EA Sports jewel, and the other with a blue EA Games jewel. Reportedly, 110 made. ^[2] ^3 |  
|
| Ed Fries Special Edition | N/A | ? | White | Says "Ed Fries - Special Edition" under Xbox logo on white jewel, and "Thanks for all you have done with MGS and Xbox" in red lettering on bottom right of the top. No stickers on bottom. Given to Ed Fries, the vice president of game publishing at Xbox at the time. One made. | 
|
| Dead or Alive Ultimate / Kasumi-chan Blue (JP) | 4NNNNNN 15102 4NNNNNN 15202 5NNNNNN 20802 |
1.0 | Translucent Blue | Says "Dead or Alive Ultimate" on the bottom-left side of top and has a silver jewel. 5000 ^1 or 6000 ^1 made. They have a September 2004 manufacture date, but are actually 1.0 consoles with 2001 hardware and serial numbers. | 
|
| Dead or Alive Online (JP) | 2396697 34706 | 1.2 | Translucent Blue | Says "Dead or Alive Online" on the top, silver jewel. This was the original version that was meant to be sold before the game was renamed to "Dead or Alive Ultimate". One known to exist, previously owned by the international manager for the original Xbox launch, Stan Kaplita. | 
|
| Halo Special Edition | 2NNNNNN 3WW05 5NNNNNN 3WW05 6NNNNNN 3WW05 1NNNNNN 40505 3NNNNNN 40606 6NNNNNN 40705 6NNNNNN 41505 5NNNNNN 41605 |
1.2, 1.4, 1.6 | Translucent green | Released as a Halo bundle, says "Halo" on the front. 200,000 made, covering all regions. | 
|
| Halo Special Edition (Hong Kong) | 5NNNNNN 40505 6NNNNNN 40505 |
1.4 | Translucent green | First released on April 22nd, 2004; this NTSC console was made to commemorate the release of Xbox Live by Microsoft Hong Kong and Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited (HKBN). Four digit serial number on top indicates less than 10,000 units produced. ^3 |  
|
| Halo 2 Special Edition (NTSC-J) | 5NNNNNN 40505 5NNNNNN 40605 |
1.4 | Translucent green | Released in Southeast Asia; has a Halo 2 decal sticker on the top of the console near the disc drive. Number produced is unknown. ^3 | 
|
| Halo 2 Special Edition (CAN) | 2NNNNNN 31405 4NNNNNN 41305* |
1.2^?, 1.3^?, 1.4 | Ice blue | Released as a Halo 2 bundle (no headset) in Canada, silver jewel. | 
|
| Halo 2 Special Edition (PAL) | 2NNNNNN 51805 2NNNNNN 50805 |
1.0^?, 1.1^?, 1.4^? | Ice blue | Released as Halo 2 bundle in Asia, black jewel. | 
|
| Hulk/Pepsi (PAL) | 2NNNNNN 20503 3NNNNNN 21503 2NNNNNN 24405 4046266 21403
| ||||
| Mountain Dew | 2NNNNNN 31205 | 1.3 | Neon green | Sold through a Mountain Dew sweepstakes ^3 . Mountain Dew logo on jewel. 1000 ^[2] to 5099 ^? made. | 
|
| MSN Edition - White (PAL) | 4082725 40605 | 1.4^? | Translucent | "MSN" and butterfly logo on front right. Likely made as a mock up for a potential MSN ISP promotion ^[2]. One known to exist, found in Denmark. | 
|
| MSN Edition - Colorful (PAL) | 4082833 40605 4082752 40605 |
1.4^? | Translucent | Colorful "MSN" and butterfly logo on front right. Likely made as a mock up for a potential MSN ISP promotion ^[2]. Two known to exist, found in Denmark. | 
|
| Panzer Dragoon Orta | 2NNNNNN 20502 3NNNNNN 20502 4NNNNNN 20502 |
1.0 | White | Screenprinted artwork and logo surrounding jewel. 999 originally planned to be sold ^3 . 3,000 made, 1,300 shipped ^[2] . | 
|
| Partner Edition | 1137135 25005 2NNNNNN 31905 |
1.0 | Translucent green | Given to hardware companies involved with Xbox. Has "Thanks for Partnering with Xbox" and Bill Gates' signature on the jewel. Estimated 100 ^[2] or 1000 ^? made. | 
|
| Pure White (JP) | 5NNNNNN 15202 3NNNNNN 20202 3NNNNNN 20502 5NNNNNN 20602 5NNNNNN 20702 |
1.0 | White | Released in Japan for the 2004 anniversary with a silver jewel saying "Limited Edition 2004". The unit number out of 1000 is engraved in the bottom left of the top side as well as an optional engraved name of up to 20 letters. 1000 made. They have a 2004 manufacture date, but are actually 1.0 Xboxes. | 
|
| Skeleton Black (JP) | 3NNNNNN 20502 2NNNNNN 20402 |
1.0 | Translucent black "smoke" | Release version in Japan that came with serialized key chain with a number from 1 to 50,000. 50,000 produced, estimated 10,000 sold on launch week. ^[2] | 
|
| Translucent Blue (CAN) | ? | ? | Translucent Blue | 50 given away in The Chronicles of Riddick DVD sweepstakes ^3 , given away by a traveling Holiday Game Squad ^3 , or with purchase of 12-month Bell Canada's 'Sympatico High-Speed' contract ^3 . Came in box with Halo 2 and a headset, unlike the Canadian Halo 2 edition. |
|
| Translucent Green (NTSC) | 1NNNNNN 40705 1NNNNNN 40905 |
1.0?, 1.2, 1.4 | Translucent green | Sold in Canada. | 
|
| Translucent Green (PAL) | 2NNNNNN 30805 2NNNNNN 30905 1NNNNNN 40705 |
1.2, 1.4^? | Translucent green | Released for one year anniversary for the European release of the console. 20,000 manufactured. 5,000 sold. | |
| Translucent Orange Prototype | 1NNNNNN 21503 | 1.0 | Translucent orange | Color mock up consoles. Two known to still exist, gifted to an internal marketing employee and a friend which was later stolen from their house. ^[2] | 
|
| Translucent Orange Halo Prototype | N/A | 1.0 | Translucent orange | Color test prototypes. "Halo" written on front, one has a silver jewel, possibly added later on, and one has a black jewel. Three known to exist. ^2 ^3 |  
|
| Other Color Samples | N/A | N/A | N/A | Opaque candy apple / fire engine red (sample on table), glow in the dark, burgundy/dark magenta crystal, metallic gold, and a unit filled with color shifting beads. All likely destroyed. ^[2] | (no pictures of full units exist) |
Third Party Special Editions
| Edition | Serial Number | Revision | Color | Features | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Cent Pure White Edition | 4174113 50505 | ? | White | Given away by Australian television channel Channel V. Has "50 Cent Bulletproof" written in gold on top near the middle, and 50 Cent's signature. One made. | 
|
| 50 Cent Pure White Edition 2 | ? | ? | White | One given away in Australia, and one in New Zealand. Has "50 Cent Bulletproof" written in gold on top in the bottom left, black swirl designs on it, and 50 Cent's signature. Four made by Advanced Airbrush, all slightly different.[1] |  
|
| 50 Cent Pure White Edition 3 | ? | ? | White | Larger "50 Cent Bulletproof" written in gold on the top in the bottom left, 50 Cent's face airbrushed in the top right, and 50 Cent's signature. One made. | 
|
| Atari Edition | ? | ? | Orange | A black Xbox painted orange with an Atari logo on the jewel, and "Atari" written on top. Given away at the Leipzig Game Convention in 2004. Five made. | 
|
| Conker Edition | ? | ? | Black | Has an image of Conker on top, with camouflage prints, bullet holes, and "Conker" written on it. Three made for a Conker's tournament in Sydney, Australia. | 
|
| Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball | 1039744 21503 | 1.0 | Black | Has a full volleyball beach scene airbrushed on top. 20 sold in Germany. | 
|
| Halo Airbrushed Edition | 2NNNNNN 21403 | 1.0 | Black | Had an image of Master Chief with the sky and Halo ring in the background to celebrate Halo's launch in the UK. Given out in one case by Microsoft employees at training event competitions. 5-10 made. | 
|
| Halo 2 Airbrushed Edition | 4073214 41605 | 1.6^? | Black/Orange | Commissioned by Microsoft to have an airbrushed top shell, these could be won from Media Markt for the Halo 2 launch. Painted by Peter Tronser. 100 made. ^3 | 
|
| Hello Kitty Crystal (PAL) | 2NNNNNN 42805 2063163 42805 2063406 42805 |
1.6^? | Translucent | Sold in a unique box with an undefined Samsung TV from Best Denki in Singapore. Has pink Hello Kitty Mission Rescue artwork painted on top. Came with a crystal controller with a unique gold and silver sparkle in the jewel. 550 made. ^3 | 
|
| Playboy Edition | ? | ? | Translucent | Has sticker artwork on top of Penelope Juarez and a written letter, as well as artwork on the front. One unit made and given away in Australia in an unknown contest. ^3 | 
|
| Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Edition | 4NNNNNN 43405 5102303 43505 |
1.6^? | Orange | Painting sanctioned by game publisher. Given away to winners of skateboarding competitions. Graffiti-style art on top on of crystal edition Xbox. Possible matching skateboard deck. 10 made. | 
|
| World Racing | 3138913 20703 (Yellow #18) | ? | Black | Given away during a competition in Germany. Airbrushed car artwork on top and TDK logo. | (pictures below) |
     
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Development/Debug Kits
| Edition | Serial Number | Revision | Color | Features | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha I Development Kit | N/A | Intel VC820 | Silver | Used for developing Xbox games. Large aluminum desktop tower. | 
|
| Alpha II Development Kit | N/A | Intel VC820 | Silver | Used for developing Xbox games. Large aluminum desktop tower. | |
| Debug Kit | 3NNNNNN 13202 6NNNNNN 20602 6NNNNNN 30202 6NNNNNN 32805 6NNNNNN 35005 5NNNNNN 41505 6NNNNNN 43905 |
1.0, 1.3^? | Translucent Green | "Debug Kit" written on bottom stickers. Often times "Debug Kit" written on front, though not always the case. Also may or may not have "Dolby Digital" and "Compact Disc" logos etched above the fourth controller port. | 
|
| Debug Kit | ? | ? | Black | Used by game developers to hide the fact that games are running on a debug kit at trade shows. | Identical to retail. |
| Development Kit Beta | N/A | DVT3 | Translucent | Used for developing Xbox games. "Development Kit" written in green on front, and early to mid-production units have a green jewel with metallic lettering and later ones had a dark green jewel with standard lettering. USB port exposed on the back. On the bottom, it is referred to as a "BETA" and prototype system. | 
|
| Development Kit | 6NNNNNN 22002 6NNNNNN 31625 |
DVT4 | Translucent | Used for developing Xbox games. "Development Kit" written in green on front. USB port exists but is blocked by the casing on the back. On the bottom, it is referred to as a "FINAL" and prototype system. | |
| Development Kit | N/A | ? | Black | Used for developing Xbox games. "Development Kit" written in green on the front. Two known to exist, but an advertisement seems to show a third one. One was shown in a NVIDIA Twitter post.[2] |  
|
| GDC 2000 Keynote Prototype | ? | ? | Chrome Aluminum | A giant X-shaped unit with developer hardware inside for the Xbox reveal at GDC 2000 by Bill Gates and various other showings. Two functional units made, with extra spare parts. |  
|
| Microsoft TechNet Edition | ? | 1.1 | Black | Microsoft TechNet logo on top of console, boots to XDK dashboard. PAL only. One known to exist. ^3 | 
|
| Retail Prototype | ? | DVT1 | Black | Used internally at Microsoft to test new system configurations. 3 | 
|
| Retail Prototype | ? | DVT2 | Black | Looks identical to a retail console with stickers. Sticker with "QT DVT2". Appears to be for testing the speed of some function. | 
|
| Retail Prototype | ? | DVT2 | Black | Looks identical to a retail console with stickers. Sticker on the front labelled (XB DVT2) with a config and test ID and appears to have a unique 4604.1 BETA live kernel used internally at Microsoft to test Xbox Live. ^3 | 
|
| Retail Prototype | 0NNNNNN 12902 | DVT4 | Black | Pre-release Xbox. Some are known to have CPUs clocked at 750MHz rather than 733MHz. | |
| Retail Prototype | 6NNNNNN 13102 | DVT5 | Black | Pre-release Xbox. Has a ribbon cable running from the LPC header, through the vent grille, and out the back. Likely used to flash and test new kernels. | |
| Retail Prototype | 4125522 32505 | DVT6? | Black | "Prototype" and "LIVE ENABLED" written on bottom stickers, otherwise identical to retail unit. Only one known, claimed to be a DVT6 and internally called "Xbox console Xmode3 w/genealogy" by owner. ^3 | 
|
| Retail Prototype | 1NNNNNN 13602 | DVT7 | Black | Made a month before release, a final build prototype. | 
|
| Xbox Live Beta Kit | 6NNNNNN 22902 | ? | Black | "Debug Kit" written on bottom stickers. "Debug Kit" written on front, covered by a BETA sticker, and "LIVE ENABLED" stickers on bottom. Also comes with a Xbox Live beta tester kit including an orange memory card. | |
| Xbox Live Beta Kit | ? | ? | Translucent Green | "Debug Kit" written on bottom stickers. "Debug Kit" written on front, covered by a BETA sticker. Also comes with a Xbox Live beta tester kit including an orange memory card. | 
|
Kisekae X
In late 2003, Microsoft of Japan ran a sweepstakes for up to 2,000 winners to win one of six "X" overlays designed by popular Japanese illustrators (in order) Jun Miura, Katsura Wakano, NIGO, Moyoko Anno, Tadanobu Asano, and Naohiro Ukawa. These overlays are essentially a plastic shell that covers the large X on the top of the Xbox. This page contains the original advertisement on Microsoft’s website for the sweepstakes.
References
| Source | Key |
|---|---|
| [1] | Official website source |
| [2] | Marco Micheletti - 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| [3] | Third party source (linked inline) |
If you have a Special Edition console not listed or different to what is listed on this page, contact the moderators and inform them of your serial number to be added to the list.