Microsoft Acknowledges The Xbox Series X Price/Release Date Wait: "When We're Ready"

[Update: Microsoft has confirmed a November 10 release date and $499 price for Xbox Series X, while Xbox Series S will cost $299 and launch on the same day. Pre-orders for both will be available on September 22.]

It is now September, and neither Microsoft nor Sony have announced the release dates or prices for their next-generation consoles which are due to launch before the end of the year. Without this knowledge, it's hard to know how much to save up for these systems--or for customers to decide if they want to buy them at launch at all.

Understandably, fans want to know when they can buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X and what they should expect to pay for them. However, those details remain a mystery, and now Microsoft has acknowledged the long wait.

Xbox UK marketing lead Samuel Bateman said on Twitter, "I understand everyone is excited to know and people want to plan purchases etc. We’ll let you all know when we're ready."

His comment came in response to someone pointing out that fans want to know these critical details to help budget and prepare. Someone else asked him about the launch lineup for the Xbox Series X now that Halo Infinite is delayed to 2021.

Bateman responded, "Let's get you the launch date first, when you can see exactly what games are playable from day one." Microsoft has previously advertised the Series X's backwards compatibility when talking about the games that can be played on it from launch.

Looking back at the last generation, both Sony and Microsoft announced the prices for the PS4 and Xbox One in June during E3 2013. Of course, the world is in a very different place these days. E3 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many have wondered what impact the crisis has had on the ability to manufacture the next-gen consoles. For its part, the PS5 launch supply is rumored to be lower than the PS4 due to the high price of the console leading to lower demand at launch.

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox Series X (and potentially the Xbox Series S as well) will release in November. Sony, however, has only confirmed a Holiday 2020 release date.

Here at GameSpot, our editors have weighed in on how much they think the PS5 and Xbox Series X will cost, and you can check out those features below.

• We Predict How Much The PS5 Will Cost
• We Predict How Much The Xbox Series X Will Cost