Xbox Series X Name Is So Goofy Even Microsoft Pokes Fun At It

Microsoft was never one to stick with more expected console naming conventions, what with the Xbox One creating confusion in-store as parents fumbled figuring out which system was which. The Xbox Series X is a similarly puzzling name, so much so that even Microsoft pokes fun at it.

Over on Instagram, the Xbox account posted a brief video meme-ing the Xbox Series X's name. Set to a bouncy orchestrated composition, the video runs through several images, including the system itself, one inside of a box, and a series of ex-boxed Xbox Series X's next to their boxes... in an X.

If that sounds goofy, it's because it is.

It's worth pointing out that Xbox's naming conventions, while perplexing, placed Microsoft in a tricky position in comparison to PlayStation. Microsoft was on the Xbox 360 when the PlayStation 3 came out, then launched the Xbox One the following generation. Calling the Xbox Series X the Xbox Two (or Three) might sound inferior to Sony, which has now dropped the PlayStation 5. Microsoft probably needed a bolder way to differentiate the Series X from previous Xbox systems and Sony.

Some of the replies on the video mention Microsoft's history of "awful and confusing product names," as one Instagrammer commented, implying that this level of meme-ification is to be expected with a name like Xbox Series X. Still, most comments are from users begging to know when they can buy one because they've "been waiting almost a year" for them to be restocked.

Though they're hard to find in large part because of the ongoing semiconductor shortage, a few stores tend to replenish their inventory semi-regularly. Be sure to check out our Xbox Series X|S restock guide to learn when retailers will have them back on shelves and which spots to go to.

In other Xbox news, Microsoft has taken the meme to its logical next step with a mini fridge based on the console, which will be available sometime this holiday season.