Microsoft is reportedly planning to release the next-gen Xbox Series X console in November, offering a more defined launch window than the vague ‘Holiday 2020’ peddled to date.
The news comes from Bloomberg reporter Dina Bass, who quizzed Microsoft CFO, Amy Hood, during an interview about when the console would hit store shelves. When asked if the ‘new console’ was still on track for the ‘November Holidays’, Hood responded with a definitive ‘yes.’
The Bloomberg tech reporter recounted the exchange on Twitter late yesterday . When prompted to clarify the statement by The Verge’s editor, Tom Warren, Bass doubled down, explaining :
It was in response to a question from me and I said “new console” and “November holidays.” Her answer was the single word “yes.”
The exchange marks the first firm confirmation that Microsoft has its eye on a November launch for the Xbox Series X, seemingly adding weight to speculation ignited by yesterday’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon announcement .
A new listing on the Microsoft Store indicated that the game would launch on Nov. 13 on the Series X. Yakuza: Like a Dragon has already been confirmed as a day one title for the console, prompting the suggestion that Microsoft plans to launch the console on or before Nov. 13.
In April, the UK, Indian, and Australian versions of the official Xbox Series X website briefly listed a ‘Thanksgiving 2020’ release . Microsoft hastily amended the listing, issuing a statement saying the product page ‘inaccurately listed the launch date’ in some regions. Today’s news implies the blunder did indeed display correct launch details, despite Microsoft’s assertions to the contrary.
It’s unlikely we’ll hear anything to bolster the news during today’s highly-anticipated Xbox Games Showcase.
Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg has asked fans to manage their expectations, specifying on multiple occasions that the focus is solely on games coming to Xbox with ‘no business, devices or similar news.’