A tweet from the Verge’s Tom Warren shows an interesting sticker attached to the Xbox Series X controllers that was leaked last week. On the sticker are instructions reading, “Do not sell or display before November 6, 2020”, leading to speculation about this referring to the console’s possible release date. This message is typically for retailers who are sent the product prior to the manufacturer’s intended launch date.
Xbox Series X may launch on November 6th. A tipster tells me boxes of the new controllers have a do not open date of November 6th on them. These controllers leaked earlier this week https://t.co/oyhlbg2SKo pic.twitter.com/dq096shN7L
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 11, 2020
These controllers, which have been deemed legitimate, have been bought from resellers by social media users months before they were meant to be on store shelves. While they have already confirmed the existence of the Xbox Series S, also known under the code name “Project Lockhart”, the message about a November release date for Microsoft’s series of next-gen consoles lines up with the company confirming a launch window in that same month.
Furthermore, November 6 is a Friday, which is a favoured day of the week for console launches. For comparison, the Xbox One came out on Friday, November 22, 2013. It may be that the controllers and other accessories will be releasing a week before the main hardware, but nothing from this leak suggests whether or not that may be the case.
As it stands, Microsoft has remained quiet on both this potential release date and the accidental reveal of the Xbox Series S. And with the recent news of Halo Infinite being delayed to 2021, Microsoft have added pressure to make sure the launch of the Xbox Series X goes as successfully as possible. Thanks to this leak, we now have a potentially clearer understanding of exactly when in November that will be taking place.
