Phil Spencer: Xbox Series X and Series S reveals were "supposed to be next week but oh well"

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The wait ended ahead of schedule

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft has finally revealed all the details on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this week, but it wasn't according to plan.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed on his personal Twitter account that the Xbox Series X reveal today, and the Xbox Series S reveal yesterday, were originally meant to arrive next week. He called the unusual series of events an "unscripted announce" and praised the Xbox team for rolling everything out like it had meant to do it this way all along.

Why the change? Well, the conspiracy theorist in me wants to believe it's because Microsoft got word that Sony is planning an imminent reveal for the PS5 release date and price, and it wanted to get the Xbox news out first.

The realist in me knows it's probably because the Xbox Series X leaks yesterday were so comprehensive that it didn't make sense for Microsoft to hold the official word back any longer. Since the two systems are so closely associated (in everything but 4K gameplay support) it didn't make sense to hold back the remaining details on Xbox Series X either.

In either case, Microsoft did an admirable job of getting the word out there all at once despite its timetable being shifted, and now we finally know when the next generation of consoles will begin and how much it will cost to start playing. Unless Sony decides to jump in with an earlier release date and a lower price tag. I wouldn't complain about that either.

See what you'll be able to play on your new system(s) with our guide to Xbox Series X launch games. 

Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar.