On December 13, 2003 the PSX was released in Japan. The PSX was essentially a Sony DVR with a PS2, and PSOne built right in. It also boasted some serious specs (for 2003), supported many file formats, had up to a 450GB HDD, and came equipped with photo, audio, and video editing software.
With only a Japanese release the PSX wasn’t a major commercial success, yet it’s legacy still lives on today. Something that sill today thrives in many Sony electronics, including the PS3, Bravia HDTV’s, Receivers, and the PSP was born on the PSX. That something is the XMB.
Every time you boot up your PS3, or PSP, you are greeted to the user-friendly, slick, and simple graphical user interface called the XMB, which stands for Xross Media Bar. The XMB is a perfect fit for a device that offers so much functionality, as a visual interface was needed as to not confuse the average consumer. It still is today in many of Sony’s products, and as more devices offer multiple functions, the XMB will be needed. The XMB hasn’t changed much in the past 6 years, and thanks to it’s ease of use, and impressive looking presentation, we don’t see it changing much in the future.
Check out the screens below for a sampling of the many different variations of the XMB:
