It feels like a lifetime ago, honestly. But if you’re trying to pin down exactly when did the Series X come out, the answer is November 10, 2020. That date is etched into the brains of thousands of gamers who spent that entire Tuesday refreshing browser tabs until their fingers cramped.
The world was a weird place back then. We were in the thick of global lockdowns, supply chains were basically falling apart, and everyone was stuck at home wanting a distraction. Microsoft dropped the Xbox Series X alongside its smaller, digital-only sibling, the Series S. It wasn't just a hardware release; it was a bizarre cultural moment where having $500 in your pocket didn't actually guarantee you a console.
You had to fight for it.
The Global Context of the November 10 Launch
Microsoft didn't pick that date out of a hat. They wanted to beat Sony’s PlayStation 5 to the punch, even if it was only by a couple of days in certain territories. It was a global rollout. Unlike previous generations where Japan or Europe might have to wait weeks, the Series X hit the shelves (or rather, the warehouses) simultaneously across the globe.
But "hitting the shelves" is a generous way to put it.
Most people didn't see a Series X in a physical store for nearly two years. Because of the semiconductor shortage and the sheer logistical nightmare of 2020, the launch was almost entirely digital. You had bots. You had scalpers. You had "Wario64" on Twitter becoming the most important person in the gaming industry because he was the only one tracking stock drops in real-time.
It’s worth noting that Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, later admitted that the launch was a massive challenge. Speaking at various conferences like E3 and in interviews with The Verge, the Xbox team was transparent about the fact that they simply couldn't make them fast enough. They weren't just competing with Sony; they were competing with car manufacturers and medical device companies for the same tiny computer chips.
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Why the Timing of the Series X Release Mattered
The jump from the Xbox One to the Series X was different from previous leaps. When the Xbox 360 came out in 2005, it felt like moving from a drawing to a photograph. In 2020, the shift was more about "feel" and speed.
The Death of the Loading Screen
The biggest selling point on November 10 was the SSD (Solid State Drive). If you’ve played The Witcher 3 or GTA V on an old Xbox One, you know the pain of waiting two minutes for a fast travel. The Series X changed that to about ten seconds. This "Velocity Architecture" was the buzzword of the year.
Power vs. Availability
The Series X was marketed as the "most powerful console in the world" with 12 teraflops of GPU power. This was a direct jab at Sony. However, power doesn't mean much if you can't buy the box. For the first six months after when the Series X came out, the Series S actually outsold it in many regions simply because it was easier to manufacture and actually stayed in stock.
Misconceptions About the 2020 Launch
A lot of people think Halo Infinite launched with the console. It didn't.
That was a huge blow to the November 10 window. Halo Infinite was famously delayed after a gameplay reveal that featured "Craig the Brute," a meme-worthy enemy with a very flat, unimpressed face. Microsoft made the tough call to delay their flagship title to late 2021.
So, what did people actually play on launch day?
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- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Watch Dogs: Legion
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon (which was a timed next-gen exclusive for Xbox)
- Tetris Effect: Connected
It was a "cross-gen" era. Most games you played on your shiny new Series X could also be played on your old Xbox One, just with worse graphics and slower loads. This led to a lot of debates online. People asked, "Is it even worth upgrading yet?"
Honestly, for the first year, the answer depended entirely on how much you hated loading screens.
Technical Milestones and Hardware Specs
To understand the impact of the release, you have to look at what was under the hood. The Series X wasn't just a PC in a box; it was a custom-engineered beast.
- CPU: 8-core AMD Zen 2
- GPU: 52 CUs at 1.825 GHz (12 TFLOPS)
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVMe SSD
The "Quick Resume" feature was the sleeper hit. Being able to jump between four different games exactly where you left off—without a single loading screen—felt like actual magic. It’s one of those things you don't realize you need until you have it, and then you can't go back.
The Pricing Strategy
Microsoft priced the Series X at $499 (£449 / €499). In a vacuum, that’s a lot of money. But they also introduced Xbox All Access. This was basically a phone plan for a console. You paid a monthly fee for 24 months, which covered the hardware and a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.
This was a genius move. It lowered the barrier to entry during an economic recession. It also locked people into the Xbox ecosystem. If you’re paying monthly, you’re probably not going to go out and buy a PlayStation.
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Evolution Since the Release Date
Since November 2020, the landscape has shifted. We’ve seen the release of the "Starfield" edition consoles, various limited-time wraps, and finally, the introduction of the 2TB Galaxy Black Series X and the All-Digital Robot White Series X in late 2024.
The console we have today is much more refined. The software dashboard has been overhauled to be faster and less cluttered. We’ve seen the arrival of massive titles like Forza Horizon 5, Starfield, and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. The "no games" argument that plagued the launch window has largely been put to rest, though Xbox still struggles with consistent first-party output compared to Sony’s relentless blockbuster machine.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Series X Now
If you finally picked one up or are thinking about it, don't just treat it like a 4K DVD player.
- Check your TV settings. You need a TV with HDMI 2.1 to actually see 120fps or use Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). If you’re playing on an old 1080p TV from 2015, you’re wasting the console’s potential.
- Invest in the Storage Expansion Card. The 1TB internal drive fills up fast. Call of Duty alone takes up a massive chunk. The Seagate or Western Digital expansion cards are the only ones that can run Series X optimized games directly from the external drive.
- Calibrate HDR. Use the "HDR Calibration" app in the settings menu. It makes a massive difference in how colors pop in games like Cyberpunk 2077.
The Series X launch was a landmark event that happened at arguably the worst possible time for global logistics. It survived a lack of launch titles, a chip shortage, and a global pandemic to become the most stable piece of hardware Microsoft has ever built.
If you're still sitting on an Xbox One, the leap is finally worth it. The prices have stabilized, the library is massive thanks to Game Pass, and the hardware is no longer a "myth" you can only find on eBay for $1,000.
Next Steps for New Owners:
- Enable Developer Mode if you're interested in emulation and homebrew.
- Download the Xbox Mobile App to manage your game captures and start downloads while you're away from home.
- Join the Xbox Insiders program if you want to test new UI features before they roll out to the general public.