Xbox Series X Coming November: No Date Set

I’ll take my trophy now, I’ve called it and I knew there would be a game of: “No, you go first!” when it came to the release dates for next-gen consoles. I said it at the Xbox Games Showcase, and I repeated the sentiment at the PlayStation State of Play, we’re far too close to the release of consoles to have no dates yet. It turns out Microsoft agrees, as they are the first to blink in the “console wars” of 2020; As if that ever mattered. Though the problem is, when they decided to blink they immediately shouted “That was just a twitch! Let’s keep going…”

Yes, the Xbox Series X is coming this November, with jeers of mockery from one side of that so-called console wars and adulation from the other. Meanwhile, nothing happened. We still have no date, we still have no idea of the week, nevermind the day of the week, that the console will release. This is as it was always going to be, another game in the grand play where 2020 bends you over backwards and takes you from behind, all before leaving without a note in the morning. Though it did provide one bit of relief that one could only hope for, news of the launch title. At least for Microsoft.

Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f

— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020

Yes, Halo Infinite has been delayed (as expected) following the horrible looking Thanos rip off from the trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase. Soon after the trailer, some fans took to social media and the gaming press called it “Plastic-like” in one case. This prompted Halo developer 343 Industries to address the issues by noting “we do have work to do.” Considering we’re two and a half months from any possible release of the console, with tight deadlines on the game’s release if it were to continue to be a launch title, there would “endless crunch.” Back in February, Phil Spencer, Xbox lead executive, sat down with the Game Maker’s Notebook to speak about several topics, including crunch.

In an interview with Kotaku last year, Spencer said, “I want to give them time to think through their plans […] but you’ve got to be able to listen to your studios when they need time and they want to focus on more things.” It seems that while Microsoft is pushing forward with their console, it will not feature the launch exclusive giving it a little help. Xbox did note in their blog post on the continued launch of the console, and delay of Halo, that those that do pick up the Series X will have access to all four generations of Xbox consoles. While Microsoft has always been chasing Sony’s tail on consoles, it will be interesting to see how X-cloud, Game Pass, and other services play into the success of the Xbox Series X.