After almost a year since its unveiling at 2019's Game Awards, the Xbox Series X is finally out today and is already set up in some peoples' homes. Unfortunately, the console's release has been anything but smooth. There was already chaos surrounding Xbox Series X pre-orders, meaning many prospective owners had to miss out on getting one on day one, but even those who did snag a pre-order may not get theirs today.
It is being reported that some customers based in the United Kingdom and Canada are being informed that their Xbox Series X and/or Xbox Series S won't arrive today. Canada, in particular, is dealing with a shipment issue of consoles that have been ordered directly from Microsoft.
A number of units appeared to be stuck at a FedEx facility in Memphis, Tennessee and, though no explanation has been given about what caused the hold-up, IGN says that customers have since reported that transit has now begun and units are on track to arrive tomorrow on November 11th.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Amazon has been emailing customers to tell them that it is not only able to deliver pre-orders by the end of today, they may not arrive until the end of December at the very latest, which is over a month away. This also looks set to affect American customers too, as they have been receiving the exact same email.
The Xbox Series X's launch in the UK is especially suffering, as it comes while the country is in a coronavirus-enforced lockdown, which requires non-essential stores to remain closed. Some retailers are still fulfilling pre-orders by offering click-and-collect, though this means that anyone who was unable to pre-order one can't walk into their local store and buy one there.
As disappointing as all this news is, it's not especially surprising either. With how quickly pre-orders sold out, there was always likely going to be a supply-and-demand issue and the coronavirus pandemic has undeniably been a factor behind the struggling distribution and limited stock. There were plenty of tell-tale signs too that the launch would be rough; only last month, a UK retailer informed its customers that it wouldn't be able to deliver the Xbox Series X pre-orders in time for launch day.
It's probably safe to assume that the PlayStation 5's launch on November 12th will be just as rough, though GameStop has confirmed that it will most definitely have both next-gen consoles available on Black Friday. The downside is that customers will have to go in-store if they hope to get one.
The Xbox Series X/S is available today.
Source: IGN