The Xbox Series X appears to have finally gone into production, allaying fears of Covid-related delays preventing gamers from getting their hands on the next-gen console before 2020 is over.
There's been plenty of uncertainty around the fate of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, though both Sony and Microsoft have been adamant about working to the same "Holiday 2020" release date as originally intended.
Now, though, it seems that things are moving on schedule, with a distribution plan designed to minimize the impact of further lockdowns and improve on the launch of the 2013 Xbox One.
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Planning for the worst
Production was confirmed by French-language site Xboxygen, with VG247 running the news through Google Translate to get the gist of what was being reported.
The translation is along the lines of this: “What we learn today is that [Xbox Series X] is in production, and that France is one of the priority countries for the delivery of machines at the end of the year.”
Why is France important? Well, Xbox France director Ina Gelbert tells the site that, "The choice we made on this launch is to be present in more countries than at the launch of the Xbox One," showing a clear attempt to one-up the middling launch of the Xbox One.
Gelbert also cites production of the console, speaking of the amount of work going into getting the consoles on the production line.
Given uncertainty around the status of retail stores or distribution channels during a global pandemic, we get the impression that Microsoft is also keen to get as many units to as many countries as possible – as early as possible – in case the supply runs into difficulties down the line.
Gelbert adds that, "Today I do not see a risk for France. But if a few days before the launch, there is a huge containment in the world… we can not do much."
Will the Xbox Series X get to everyone who wants it? For now, we're hesitantly hopeful.
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