With the release of the Xbox Series X, it seems like everyone wants to get their hands on a console of their very own. Phil Spencer knows this better than anyone, and he also knows what exactly went into the manufacturing process behind it. In a new interview with Nilay Patel for The Verge's podcast, Decoder, Spencer went into further detail about manufacturing the consoles and how their process differentiated them from the competition.
Patel asked Spencer outright about the manufacturing process, discussing the need to ship lots of hardware and asking about the decision making behind figuring out when a console is ready to go. Spencer went on to detail the process, explaining that Microsoft began manufacturing late in the summer. Spencer stated that this was in fact later than the competition in the console world, primarily because the Xbox team was waiting for specific AMD technology for the console's chip. This in turn led to Microsoft running behind Sony in terms of building units.
"When you do that, then you have to ship them to all the right retailers and distributors," explained Spencer. There’s a time lag, even when you start and even when they’re coming off the assembly line, [until they’re] sitting at retail shelves."
Spencer went on to explain that the company was now building at full capacity, and has been doing so for a few months. He explained his awareness of the height of demand and just how many people want to get an Xbox Series X. "The biggest disappointment for me in this launch — but I’m also happy with it — is people love the product," said Spencer. "The demand is high, such that when you’re going to see product hit the shelf, it goes very quickly."
Spencer went on to explain that Microsoft was indeed building more consoles, and that the team is making as many as they can. It seems like demand is going to continue to be high, and that Microsoft will have to focus on getting consoles out.
If you're looking for your own console, check out our guide on where to buy an Xbox Series X.
