Xbox One launches Aussie next-gen console wars

After months of waiting, the next-gen console wars officially kicked off in Australia last night, with Microsoft's Xbox One console going on sale at over 300 EB Games midnight launches around the country.

The new Xbox, which officially sells for $599 Down Under, was launched with plenty of fanfare as Microsoft turned the Centrepoint Tower in Sydney Green to celebrate.

With Australia being the first country in the world to get their hands on the console, and launching a week before Sony's PS4 in Australia, Microsoft was going out of its way to make a statement to Australian gamers.

Unprecedented Demand

According to EB Games, the concerns over always-on Kinect and a lack of Foxtel streaming at launch did nothing to dampen the spirit of gamers looking for a next-gen experience.

In a press release, EB Games claimed that gamer response to Microsoft's console was "absolutely unprecedented.

But moreover, EB Games is claiming that demand is far exceeding supply, and at the current rate the retailer expects to have sold out of Xbox One consoles "extremely soon".

So if you were thinking of picking one up, you might want to do it sooner than later.

• If you do happen to miss out on an Xbox One this week, at least the PS4 launch is only a week away. Here's our PS4 review to help you know what to expect.