Xbox Series X release date range and statement on One X games

Today Microsoft made a sort of promise – more like a statement of intent – for the games that'll be available to play on Xbox Series X at launch. They've suggested that "you will be able to play four generations of games on Xbox Series X on day one." They went on to say that "it's our intent for all Xbox One games that do not require Kinect to play on Xbox Series X at the launch of the console." Notice there that it's not a promise, but a statement of intent – there's a little wiggle room there just in case a weird game or two do not work on Xbox Series X.

That poor old Kinect, left behind like a failed experiment. Those poor games... the ones that you had to jump around to control... they'll be forever trapped on your Xbox One. But everything else, apparently, will be able to roll on your new Xbox Series X. Microsoft suggests that the Xbox Series X will "load faster and look and perform many times better on the new console" too.

There'll be access to Xbox Series X and Xbox One with the Xbox All Access system, too... sorta. According to Microsoft, you can "enjoy the option to upgrade to the next Xbox Series X, after the equivalent of 18 payments." That's 18 payments of $19.99, mind you.

To get that trade-in (staring in the "Holiday 2020" season) you'll "get the Xbox Series X with a new Xbox All Access purchase from the same retail partner where you joined the program, and trade-in the console originally purchased with Xbox All Access." (Amazon or Best Buy)

After 18 months of paying approximately $20, you'll have given Microsoft around $360 – the full retail price of an Xbox One X 1TB console. At that point, you'll turn your console back in to Microsoft, and you'll start an entirely new contract for the Xbox Series X.

Xbox Series X will be released in November of 2020. We don't know the exact date yet, but Microsoft's gone ahead and confirmed that they'll release the console in November of 2020, for certain.

NOTE: If you're upgrading from an Xbox Series S, you'll likely have to pay a $20 upgrade fee. Microsoft also notes in the fine print that you may need to pay more per month than you'd been paying for the original Xbox All Access subscription.