Microsoft's upcoming console the Xbox Series X is set to be a massive improvement over its predecessor, and it has a lot of promise behind it. There are going to be a ton of great launch titles and the new hardware specifications give fans a lot to be interested about. This new console has a lot of promise and already a lot of information about the console has come out.
There are also a few rumors to be confirmed that are still floating around. A few of these rumors, if proven true, could play a huge part in the Xbox Series X doing well this console generation and even 'winning' it in the eyes of some fans.
10 Confirmed: Release Window
It is stated by multiple Xbox officials that the console will release later this year, in time for the Holiday 2020 season. This will line up with the PlayStation 5's release date, which has also been stated to be around that same time. This means that we can expect to see the Xbox series release between the months of October and December. This release will also be worldwide and history suggests that it will release in the month of November
9 Still Rumored: Exact Date
While we do have the release window pretty much confirmed to be the holiday season, there is no exact date set as of yet. History suggests that the console will be released within the month of November, as that is the month when every other Xbox console has been released but they have all been on different dates, ranging from the early to latter parts of the month. This would also line up with the PlayStation release date, with the last two consoles also relating in November.
8 Confirmed: Backwards Compatibility
Something that was a big controversy during the release of the last console generation was the lack of backwards compatibility that both consoles had at least at launch.
It seems that the developers of the new Xbox took the "criticism" that they received due to this to heart and it is now confirmed that the Xbox Series X will be backwards compatible with all previous Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games from launch.
7 Still Rumored: Multiple Consoles
Its fairly common and pretty much expected nowadays that when a new console releases, it will receive a different, updated version later on in order to continue the console's lifespan. This happened recently with Nintendo's release of the Switch Lite. Many rumors have popped up about the Xbox Series X having multiple versions of its release, with different sources saying that the first one to release will be a cheaper but less powerful versions.
6 Confirmed: Console Design
The first thing that we learned about the new console, aside from its name, was its design and well the first thing we can say is that it is truly, a box. The new console looks more reminiscent of a gaming PC than any other previous iteration of the console.
The console will also feature a controller that is pretty similar to the last Xbox's but that doesn't come as a big surprise as Microsoft seemingly go with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it approach" to their controllers.
5 Still Rumored: The Same UI
A rumor that has many Xbox players worried and a fair amount of PlayStation players happy and laughing is that the Xbox Series X is going to have a very similar, if not the exact same, user interface as the previous console. There are also rumors that the current Xbox One dashboard is going to be updated and tweaked within the coming months and that it will receive big changes to the app store. This new updated version is rumored to be the dashboard for the new Xbox Series X.
4 Confirmed: Console Specifications
The first thing that we learned about Microsoft's next-generation console was its specifications. The Xbox One suffered a lot of bad press due to being weaker overall in a technical sense to it's rival the PlayStation and that's one of the reasons that it lost this past console generation. The new Xbox Series X is set to have much better hardware and on paper, it actually surpasses what will be it's rival the PlayStation 5. This new console is said to be 4 times more powerful than its predecessor.
3 Still Rumored: Will It Be Delayed?
Something that fans are worried about is the idea of the Xbox Series X's launch window being moved back, possibly by a year, due to the current situation with the coronavirus. This rumor has also spread to the PlayStation 5, with fans believing that if the current situation in the world worsens or stays how it is, it might cause Microsoft and Sony to move back the release dates of their consoles so that they could maximize sales. This does seem a bit strange in the world of online delivery though.
2 Confirmed: Launch Titles
Launch titles are an underrated but still very important start to the lifespan of a new console. They are there not only to sell the console, but also show off its capabilities in terms of gameplay and graphical power. The PlayStation 5 has already confirmed over 30 games that will be available at launch and the Xbox Series X has promised some big heavy hitters for its launch. This includes Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
1 Still Rumored: Price
While we know the release date for the console, its hardware specs and the games that are going to be available for it at launch, one very important thing that we don't know about it is what it will cost at launch. The PlayStation 5 is rumored to be around $500 USD, so we can expect the price to be around that. The Xbox One released at $100 US dollars more than the cost of the PlayStation 4, which was called a mistake by most, so this might cost around the same as the PlayStation 5.