Microsoft Secrecy Breaks for November 6 Xbox Series X Launch
All signs point to an early November release date for the Xbox Series X after Microsoft blinks first, before Sony. | Source: Microsoft/Xbox
- Updated Xbox controller leaks heighten the potential for an early November Xbox Series X launch.
- Warranty details indicate the console could launch on Nov. 6th, while shipments sent to retailers contain instructions not to sell of display the peripherals before the same date.
- Microsoft confirmed yesterday that the Xbox Series X will launch in November, but stopped short of providing a firm date.
After Microsoft has floated a vague Holiday 2020 release window for Xbox Series X for the better part of nine months, a recent flurry of activity has given would-be owners the clearest indication yet of when to expect the next-gen console – Nov. 6.
The news isn’t of the usual variety we’ve grown accustomed to in this long and at times details-poor, the build-up to the next-gen.
Instead of anecdotal evidence from an ‘uncle’ at Microsoft or speculation from insiders, we have, for the first time, two genuine pieces of information that appear to corroborate one another.
Firstly, warranty details for Xbox’s updated controller leaked yesterday, hinting at a release date for the Xbox Series X. It notes coverage ending on Nov. 5, 2021. Keeping in mind that Microsoft peripherals ship with a one-year limited warranty, this would seem to indicate a Nov. 5 or 6 release.
Secondly, The Verge’s Tom Warren took to Twitter to reveal that according to a received tip, retailers are receiving shipments of the new controllers stickered with instructions not to sell or display them before Nov. 6, 2020. Warren included with the tweet a picture purportedly showing one of the stickers.
Microsoft Confirms November Xbox Series X Launch
In a statement shared yesterday, Microsoft attempted to cushion the news of a delay to Halo Infinite by revealing the console launches in November , although it stopped short of pinpointing an exact date. In an Xbox Wire, the company noted:
‘We have plenty to keep you busy until Chief arrives: There will be thousands of games to play, spanning four generations, when Xbox Series X launches globally this November and over 100 optimized for Xbox Series X titles, built to take full advantage of our most powerful console, are planned for this year.’
Questions remain about whether Microsoft has plans to launch the controller before the Xbox Series X. Indeed, the controller could launch on Nov. 6 with the console arriving a week or two later.
The proximity of Black Friday towards the tail end of November does limit the choice of days Microsoft can conceivably earmark for launch. An early November release looks likely.
