Given how things when with the PS5 pre-order launch, Microsoft's pre-order launch for the Xbox Series X and Series S was likely to be just as contentious.
Despite the fact that Microsoft's pre-order launch was far better organised than Sony's, the pre-orders for both versions of the new Xbox sold out in less than a day, with Microsoft now confirming that more will be available in November.
We are humbled by the record-breaking demand for Xbox Series X and S. Huge thanks to everyone for the excitement. 🙏
If you weren't successful today be sure to sign up with retailers for updates, and expect more consoles to be available on November 10. 💚— Xbox (@Xbox) September 22, 2020
Demand for the Xbox Series X and S is likely to only get higher in the coming months as Microsoft announced just yesterday that it has bought Bethesda / ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion. This means that Microsoft now controls franchises such as 'The Elder Scrolls', 'Doom', 'Fallout', 'Dishonored', 'Wolfenstein', as well as upcoming PlayStation exclusives like 'Deathloop' and 'Ghostwire: Tokyo'.
While there's been no word yet if Microsoft plans on making any of these franchises exclusive only to the Xbox, another possibility is that they could be timed exclusives. A timed exclusive is when a game is made available on a particular console first, before it's available on the other console.
Again, Microsoft and Bethesda / ZeniMax haven't yet confirmed if it will engage in this practice, but it's a distinct possibility.
The Xbox Series X and Series S launch in Ireland on November 10th.
