Update (3/18/20): Talk about jumping the gun! The initial Thanksgiving release date has been rolled back by none 🐟other than Larry "Maܫjor Nelson" Hyrb, who tweeted out the following.
An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020. We are committed to launching Holiday 2020.
So there it is - "Holiday 2020." Whether that Thanksgiving date was accurate or not, well, we😼'll just have to wait and see. The original story follows below.
Original Story
As a great man once said, "whoomp, there it is."
After a middling press conference that left consumers confused and more than a bit frustrated, Sony took a massive L as Microsoft went straight for the jugular. Phil Spencer and his shadowy cabal of marketing execs saw fit to kick Sony while they were down by revealing the release date for the Xbox Series X. Somebody call the police - we'd like to report 𒆙a murder.
Yes, we now know the release date for the new Xbox, and if you're a bit put off by my incredibly baiting headline (cc: @SavedYouAClickV,) I'll get right to the point. The Xbox Series Xꦡ will drop Thanksgiving of 2020 according to the official webs🌠ite. That's... pretty soon, ain't it?
This is a great look for Microsoft, coming hot off the heels that Xbox will have proprietary storage devices somewh🦋൩at akin to the PS Vita's memory sticks. That news ruffled more than a few feathers, but after a Sony presser that many found droll and useless for consumers, Microsoft kicked back with the same gleeful zeal Sega utilized in the early 90's.
That puts Microsoft at a huge advantage over Sony on the consumer side of things. We already knew what the Xbox Series X looked like, what was inside of it, and what it could play. Now, we know when we'll be able to get our hands on it - and a specific date, at that. Meanwhile, Sony's told us some stuff about the tech and a logo. There's a chasm between the two com💛panies in terms of messaging and marketing right now - the kind of chasm that could turn the tides in Microsoft's favor once again for the next console generation.
With the Xbox 360 undoubtedly dominating the previous gen, followed by Sony swooping in and curbstomping the Xbox One right out of the gate, Microsoft's taken off its kid gloves and taken a more direct approach to its marketing. Whether that'll pay off or not, of course, remains to be seen. But brand loyalty can only go so far, especially w📖hen both consoles may be practically identical when it comes to performance. When a company is straightforward with so many details🅺 about their product, it's a good look. Conversely, companies that aren't don't always do so hot.
But we'll see! Right now, we only know two things. First, you'll be able to get your hanꦕds on an Xbox Series X this thanksgiving - provided we're not living in bunkers by then. Second? It's going to be one hell of a console race.