Microsoft to launch its Xbox Series X console on November 10 for $499, with preorders starting on September 22

Microsoft is launching its Xbox Series X console on November 10th for $499. Preorders for the new console will begin on September 22nd, with the company also offering …

The Verge 2020-09-09 Tom Warren

Context & Ripple Effects

The launch details confirm the pricing and date leak from two days earlier: $499, November 10, with preorders opening September 22 and a lower-priced Xbox Series S shipping alongside. The script mirrors the Xbox One X announcement in 2017, where the same $499 flagship price was followed by a limited 'Project Scorpio' edition preorder window.

First-order effects

Buyers get a two-SKU choice on day one — the $499 Series X plus the Series S — with a three-week gap between the September 22 preorder open and launch.
Microsoft locks its premium tier at the identical $499 anchor it used for the Xbox One X, signaling continuity rather than a generational price jump.

Second-order effects

The disc-based flagship's dominance sets up the discless variant as the eventual value play: by 2024 Microsoft repositions a white disc-less Series X below the original price point.
A $499 floor held across two console cycles pressures the mid-tier, where the Series S line eventually lands at $350 in the 2024 refresh lineup.

Third-order effects

If the pattern holds, Xbox hardware shifts from monolithic generational launches to iterative refreshes — multiple SKUs per cycle, digital-only options drifting downward in price while special editions push upward past $500.

The trend: Console hardware is moving from single-flagship generations toward layered SKU families, with discless and refreshed models resetting the price ladder mid-cycle.

Discussion

Xbox Wire Xbox Wire on x
Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X Launch November 10, Starting at $24.99 a Month with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play
Xbox Wire Xbox Wire on x
Get EA Play with Xbox Game Pass for No Additional Cost
Xbox.com Phil Spencer on x
Xbox Series X — WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL CONSOLE — $499 (estimated retail price)
@yoda Drew Olanoff on x
my birthday is on november 9th so you know what to do https://twitter.com/...
@gregorymcfadden Gregory McFadden on x
Here we go... if Sony can launch the PS4 at $450 and digital version at $350-$400... It's gonna be exciting. https://twitter.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
I'm here for Console Wars season. Financing option very smart. Extremely curious how Sony responds with PS5 pricing, which I expect they'll announce after the PS4 event ends. https://twitter.com/...
@xbox @xbox on x
👀 Let's make it official! Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡ ᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP). Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. https://twitter.com/...
@xboxuk Xbox UK on x
👀 Let's make it official! Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the 🔎 smallest 🔍 Xbox ever. £249.99 (ERP). Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. https://twitter.com/...
@geoffkeighley Geoff Keighley on x
A first look at Xbox Series S coming in November. Incredible $299 price for a next gen console, will open the market to even more gamers. https://twitter.com/...
@cohhcarnage Cohh Carnage on x
This is...wow. A $299 next-gen console coupled with Game Pass for a huge library of games (including new releases) will be an incredible value for the price. This is big for Xbox. Your move, Sony. 😮 https://twitter.com/...
@manyatruenerd Many A True Nerd on x
This is a really good offering when paired with Game Pass - an affordable next-gen option. But it desperately needs a re-brand, because Series S means nothing, and doesn't get that across at all. The average consumer would have no idea at a glance. It's Wii U all over again. http…
@kingabztv King Abz on x
Xbox really needs to win this console generation, imagine how more players and more eyes would benefit franchises like Gears and Halo. Xbox was on top in the 360/PS3 generation and that was the high point for Gears and Halo, can we get back there again? Let's wait and see. https:…
@m4tt Matt Brian on x
Xbox Series S at £249? Man, that's a cracking price. I still think we'll be a PlayStation 5 household but that's only going to help make next-gen gaming more affordable for all. https://www.engadget.com/...
@helbeer6 Helbee on x
That is kinda crazy cheap coupled with the gamepass 🤯 https://twitter.com/...
@alexhern Alex Hern on x
good idea: Microsoft immediately wins the price war, and further dominates value-conscious households with the All Access offering, growing the number of subscribers, which is clearly its chief goal
@alexhern Alex Hern on x
bad idea: Microsoft has doubled-down on its “no exclusives for a year” message and told would-be early adopters “here's the perfect second console for you; go out and buy the PS5 first and then pick this up when there are exclusives to play”.
@linustech @linustech on x
A whole gaming PC for the price of a graphics card... Your move, NVIDIA....... https://twitter.com/...
@kolology @kolology on x
This is a terrific price but a weird concept - a next-gen console that won't even do 4K. I guess it's a cheap version to keep the player base big until Series X gets more affordable? https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Xbox Series S will be £249.99 in the UK https://twitter.com/...
@timgettys Tim Gettys on x
I love that this happened at 12:13 AM. This console launch cycle is INSANE. https://twitter.com/...
@zhugeex Daniel Ahmad on x
I like how the first next gen console to get an official price isn't the PS5 or the Series X, but the Series S console that was just officially announced today. https://twitter.com/...

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