Xbox’s Ridiculous Naming Conventions Started Way Earlier Than You Might Think

Summary Xbox's naming conventions have always been confusing.

An "S" denoting a smaller piece of Xbox hardware actually started with accessories for the original Xbox.

The naming convention made sense at first, but began to get out of hand with Xbox consoles.

Microsoft’s strange naming conventions for its recent Xbox consoles have become a bit of a joke among players, but some might not know that it has been going on for a long time. Xbox Series X/S is only the latest in a long string of somewhat baffling choices made by Microsoft in naming its Xbox products. After all, this is the company that called its third console generation the Xbox One.

While Xbox console names are the most well-known source of this strange naming convention, it actually has its roots earlier than even the beloved Xbox 360. Accessories for the original Xbox were the first indication of where things were to go, and although the naming convention originally made sense, it has somewhat overstayed its welcome.

Related Xbox Is Giving Away Butt-Shaped Controllers & Series X For Deadpool & Wolverine Release To celebrate the release of the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie, Xbox has revealed a custom console with two "cheeky" controllers.

Xbox’s Original Controllers Started The Company’s Worst Naming Convention

Xbox Sold A Smaller Controller Called The Controller S

The original Xbox came out 23 years ago, so some younger players may not have experienced playing it with its original controller. The first model that came out with the console was an unwieldy behemoth that seemed more intent on distinguishing itself from the competition than being a functional controller. To fix this, Xbox released a smaller and more streamlined version of the controller known as the Controller S.

Now, this actually wasn’t a bad naming convention when it first started. “S” clearly stands for small, so it made sense to call the smaller controller the S. It was when Xbox started using the same naming conventions for its consoles that things began to get out of hand. This is less to do with the “S” label, and more to do with the overall confusing way that Microsoft names its systems.

Xbox’s Naming Conventions Have Only Grown More Confusing

Xbox Doesn't Use Easy To Track Numbers For New Systems

Although the Xbox 360 got a pass - since there were only two generations of Xbox at the time - in retrospect, it is a strange name for a second console. When the Xbox One came out, suddenly the third console in the series had the number one in its name, and the second console had the number three (and a six, and a zero). Add the fact that Xbox Series X and Series S sound like two distinctly different consoles, not essentially the same one in different sizes, and Xbox has become one of the least intuitively named consoles.

Contrasted with PlayStation, which wisely just uses numbers to track its generations, Xbox’s consoles are a nightmare for a layperson to keep track of. Similar to Nintendo’s failure to distinguish the Wii U from the Wii, Xbox may find it harder to market its systems as their naming conventions become all the more esoteric. What started as a reasonable naming convention for a smaller controller has spiraled out of control into one of gaming’s most confusing brands.