We knew roughly when it would arrive, but until a few minutes ago we didn’t know for sure. Now all the guessing is over with though, and we know exactly when we will be able to get our hands on the new Xbox One: November 22nd.
Launching a week after Sony’s PlayStation 4 release date in the United States, the new console will launch simultaneously across a raft of territories, and will actually land before Sony’s offering in some of them, such as the UK.
The full list as detailed by Microsoft’s Xbox mouthpiece Major Nelson reads:
Today we are announcing that Xbox One will be available on Friday November 22, 2013 in all 13 of our initial launch markets – Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, UK, and USA. Many more markets will follow in 2014.
Keep in mind that these are the same Xbox One launch countries which we covered a while back, except that they are being re-confirmed along with the release date today.
The Xbox One is Microsoft’s successor to the hugely popular Xbox 360, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the Redmond outfit this time around. A furore surrounding digital rights management and the handling of used games still blots the Xbox One’s copybook, and while most of the confusion has been cleared up at this point, the new console’s reputation may be damaged beyond repair in the eyes of some gamers.
With the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launching so close to each other in so many countries, we could be in for a straight fight between two gaming powerhouses. The current generation saw Microsoft get to the party much earlier than Sony, leaving the Japanese firm to play catch-up for the rest of the cycle. Arguably, it never really managed it, but that’s an argument for the fanboys to have in the comments section below.
Which console you’re looking forward to the most will possibly depend on past allegiances, but if you happen to live in the United States, the One’s integration with TV content and sports may just push you towards the big black box with a Microsoft logo on it.
It’ll play games pretty well, too.
So, what are you planning on buying? The Xbox One, or the PS4?
You may also like to check out:
- Microsoft Unboxes The Xbox One To Show What You’ll Get In The Package At Launch [VIDEO]
- Xbox One Launch Countries [Complete List]
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