It’s not uncommon to hear gamers refer to the original Xbox as “Dreamcast 2.0,” often due to theDreamcast games that found new homes on the console. There’s more to it than just the presence of Crazy Taxi, though. The very DNA of the original Xbox is heavily influenced by Sega Dreamcast. In a way, Sega’s final great console continued to live on despite its tragic end.
Proof is in D Padding
One of the most defining features of the original Xbox is its controller. Take a close look at the original release controller and then take a look at the Dreamcast controller. The Xbox controller is nearly the same size. If you take away the giant logo in the center of the controller, it’s basically a VMU port.
Even the button layouts are similar. The primary difference is that Xbox’s controller has an additional control stick, as well as the infamous black & white buttons. The connections aren’t just conjecture, either—Seamus Blackley tweeted a series of concept designs for the original Xbox controller that confirmed the connection between the Dreamcast and the Xbox.
…and in the Operating System
Sega Dreamcast shipped with a modified version of Windows CE that allowed it to browse the web. Though the system didn’t make much use of Windows—it didn’t survive long enough to do so—the presence of Windows on a Sega console showed a connection between the two companies as far back as the launch of the Dreamcast.
Another line can be drawn in the online nature of the two systems. For DC, that consisted of Phantasy Star Online and a select few other games. On Xbox, it manifested as Xbox Live. PlayStation 2 had limited online functionality, but it was the Xbox that heralded the online gaming landscape that it is today.
And the Games, Too
Think about the initial release library of the Xbox. For many people, one of the first games they experienced was Jet Set Radio Future, a port of the original Jet Set Radio for Dreamcast. The same goes for Crazy Taxi, the later release of Panzer Dragoon Orta, and more. Dreamcast games found a new home on the Xbox after he demise of the Dreamcast.
Though the Xbox is massive, it shares a similar aesthetic with the Dreamcast. Both consoles have a boxy design that is far from attractive, and though lifting the Xbox could turn you into a body builder thanks to its ridiculous weight, the Dreamcast wasn’t much lighter.
So what does this mean for the modern age? Rumors have swirled for quite some time now that Microsoft is in talks to completely buy out Sega. While there has been no official confirmation or denial about these talks, the two companies have had a relationship for quite a long time. An acquisition makes a certain amount of logical sense and holds potential for both companies.
In fact, given the similarities between the Xbox and the original Dreamcast, it’s possible that Microsoft wanted the Dreamcast to be “their” console, in a way. If the Dreamcast had survived for more than just a few years, Microsoft might have invested significantly more money into the console and driven it to never-imagined heights.
This is all speculation, of course. As everyone knows, the Dreamcast didn’t survive that console generation. We’ll never know what might have happened—but if Microsoft actually does purchase Sega, then there might be a chance for a new Dreamcast (or the spiritual successor to it) to enter the market.