Phil Spencer Wants Xbox Series X To Have Single Global Launch

Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns could throw a wrench in its plans, but Microsoft is hoping to launch Xbox Series X in all regions at the same time.

Speaking to IGN during an episode of Podcast Unlocked, head of Xbox Phil Spencer said his team hasn't worked out a "plan B" if the pandemic forces Microsoft to stagger the system's launch. However, he understands why launching consoles in different regions at different times no longer works in the age of social media.

"I will say, having lived through the Xbox One launch, I know that significant delays in region launches hurt us," Spencer said. "It hurts us with the sentiment of the fans and every time I go to Japan I remind that we were, what was it, nine months late in launching there with Xbox One?"

Spencer also said that the issues Microsoft still has to work through are primarily software-based, so launching the system itself at a different point would not solve them.

The current planned launch window for Xbox Series X is still "holiday 2020," and Halo Infinite will release alongside the system. Though developer 343 Infinite is working remotely and Spencer said his teams are stretched in order to accommodate the new setup, there hasn't been a change in the game's release date yet. Wasteland 3 and Minecraft Dungeons, which are both also Microsoft-published games, have already been delayed as a result of the pandemic.

We'll likely learn the final release date for Xbox Series X this summer. Though E3 2020 was canceled, Microsoft will be hosting its own digital event as a replacement for its press conference.