Xbox Series S/X launch day live

Good morning to you all!

And what a fine *checks calendar* Tuesday it is! It is Tuesday, yes?

And most importantly, seven years on from the last lot, the new generation of consoles is here!

(Yes alright the Switch came out a few years ago but you know what I mean).

Join us here as we run through the day's events, and share some of your launch day stories with us.

AkumaG: UPS don't fail me now!

We are all chanting this right now.

richtayls: Just got an email from Amazon saying it’s delayed!

*sadface*

Launch days should be a time of fun, but obviously they can be deeply disappointing too.

I'm still scarred by the events of December 8th, 2006.

I'd pre-ordered a Wii at Curry's and, being a bit of a Nintendo fan, was all sorts of excited, heading to the Lewisham branch for opening. Only to be told they'd forgot to process my order.

Cue a day of running around rainy south London trying to find somewhere - anywhere - with a Wii in stock. Alas I did not - those things sold out fast - and I may or may not have had a bit of a cry.

I ended up just picking up The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for GameCube a week later, and was so traumatised by the whole experience I never bought my own Wii.

Look I'm sorry to do this but I'm excited.

Best of luck to all of you having troubles with Amazon atm.

I ordered from the Microsoft Store by the way. I'd be gobsmacked if they fudged it up.

Of course normally we'd be able to bring you stories from stores where people have been patiently queuing for their new consoles, but obviously that's not going to be happening this year. And also all the game stores near me have closed down in the seven years since the last generation *sobs*.

GAME in Lewisham, you were awful but you'll always have a place in my heart.

And yeah, I'm really sorry to hear about those of you having problems with Amazon. That's shitty.

Especially that guy who dressed up as Psycho Mantis one time and scared the shite out of everyone in the shop.

Cloysterpete: God damn it, delivery driver just knocked so loudly the dog was berserk and I spilled my brew all over, turns out it’s a chuffin duvet for the flat above mine.

Haha! Brilliant.

Killerbee: Some info here (for what it’s worth) Re Amazon orders: https://www.reddit.com/r/XboxSeriesX/comments/jqk4lf/amazon_preorder_updates/

Good tip! Thanks.

An important tip if you've just got a Series X - head straight to the Microsoft Store, go to the Game Pass collection and scroll down to the games beginning with 'T'.

There you'll find Tetris Effect Connected.

Download that and you're all set.

blarts: Mine's on it's way from Argos, I've found both Argos and Very (for my PS5) to be really good at keeping people up to date, even if it's just 'wtill waiting, but it'll be fine' email

(This bodes well for my Argos PS5 order next week. In fact, I already had a message saying it had dispatched and that I should expect it on launch day.)

rebelradiouk: My daughter cursed me out this morning as I was singing that my xbox is coming today. I got so excited I forgot her school bag. Got out the car and she said "Dad focus" I really cant.

Haha!

What are you all excited about playing on your new Xboxes? I'm really excited about playing Sea of Thieves and Grounded two-player, me on PC, my partner on Series S. We've been talking about it for weeks!

Sea of Thieves' next-gen update looks great too!

As I'm media scum I've had a Series X for a couple of weeks now - and I absolutely adore the thing.

Obviously I've mostly been playing Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown on it, but it does play some other games too.

I've been going back to newly 'first-party' games, playing Doom Eternal - which looks splendid in 4K - and finally getting around to Arkane's Prey.

Although there's not much by way of launch titles for the Series S/X consoles, I don't think there's ever been so much to play at launch for a new machine - it's great going through your back catalogue and seeing old favourites refreshed, or finding a good excuse to go and play things I missed first time around.

I've been playing (a lot of) Destiny 2 myself on my Xbox Series S this past week. Though it pulls the One S version (so no HDR), the load times are a game-changer. Something for everyone to look forward to when the new expansion launches tonight!

Sorry, this has now become a stealth Destiny liveblog.

Here are a few handy links for Xbox launch day (I've been struggling to edit this update - apologies!): -Where you can find Xbox Series S/X stock today -A Reddit thread by a certified Amazon customer service rep about pre-order delays -The Digital Foundry Xbox Series X review -The Eurogamer Video team on Xbox Series X

cant_shoot_straight: I assume Destiny 2 on Series X/S is still 30fps until the December update?

Correct - it's still the Xbox One version until December, where then Series X gets 4K / 60fps and Series S gets 1080p / 60fps. Obviously PC has that already, but knowing you can go from destination to destination in half the time makes all the difference.

kencar: Trying to get my head round how my pre-order from Microsoft is going to arrive the day after launch. Still first world problems huh? Glad I didn't take the day off now.

I have seen reports on Twitter of people getting their ShopTo pre-orders already, so fingers crossed!

hungarygrowler: Good luck everyone, I hope you get your Xboxes on time. If I'm not playing astrobot by 9am on the 19th I'm going to be livid!

What a lovely sentiment. Everyone is being so nice today. It's nice to see.

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I'm officially in my delivery window now. Looking over my shoulder, out of the window, every five seconds. Going to get neck ache. Nope, still not there. Still not there now. Nothing yet.

Little tip for those waiting on deliveries this morning - set up your Xbox 360 and upload any saves you want to continue on Series X / S ahead of time. Unlike with Xbox One, you have to upload them to the cloud manually one-by-one, which can take a little while!

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_TheDarkSide_: God, I need to get away from this live thread. Every van that pulls up, every slight rattle of my letterbox and I've got my nose pressed against the window. ... I wouldn't mind, but I haven't even ordered one. 😵

Haha!

Hahaha!

Right, bear with me a tick - I'm just going to see if Tetris Effect Connected has downloaded.

kosmic2561: My Series S has arrived from Amazon but nearly a disaster as the driver wouldn’t except the one time code I was given to confirm delivery!! After much back and forth he mysteriously found the right number and handed over my Shiny new Xbox, mini panic over!

Oh my good god.

Even Digital Foundry are having Amazon issues. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

Normally we'd have had a lovely launch party to go to where I can hoover up the free food, but instead last night all that happened is I played WRC 9 on the Series X in my shed while eating some pork scratchings. Microsoft did put on a bit of a show in central London, though, to mark the occasion. (Of the Series S/X's launch, not of me eating pig skin).

Watch on YouTube

So while everyone's here hitting refresh on the delivery service they're stuck with (and my condolences if anyone's got Yodel), what's the best launch day you've had?

I don't think anything can match the magic of getting a PlayStation 1 on launch day (am I allowed to say that on a blog about Xboxes?).

It is! It's very similar to WRC 8, but the next gen improvements help its cause a *lot*. Sorry I didn't get around to reviewing it before - hoping to remedy that shortly!

antonyantony: Finally got a tracking number and found out i'll get mine between 5.48 and 6.48 tonight. Smack in the middle of dinner time / family time, so probably 10pm before I'm set up and playing something. Glad I booked the day off work!!

One thing I will say for these new consoles is that it's fairly quick to get up and running with them - so hopefully you can be actually playing something shortly after tea.

I have this weird thing with new consoles where everything has to be *just perfect* before I can start playing - I'll give the house a proper clean, make sure the sofa cushions are all plumped up, the fridge is full of beer.

Of course with these new consoles part of that ritual is cleaning out a massive amount of space so you can actually plonk them down somewhere.

The packaging is ace, right? Microsoft's really made opening the Series X box feel like an event - it's very Apple in that way. I don't normally get excited about video game boxes (well okay maybe about Japanese GameCube game boxes because they were the best), but this one's wonderful.

Seeing Jim Ryan cheer on Xbox stories (I'm fairly sure that really is Jim, right?) is what it's all about - it's like Christmas 1914 all over again.

Also Jim are you still on for that exec interview? We can do it here if you like.

Here's another one to look out for. No, not Larry, dear old Larry. The game. Made by one person! Donlan had a look at it in September and called it "the birdiest game ever", which only he could get away with. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

I love that we now get global console releases, but also I sort of miss the thrill of importing something that wouldn't be coming out over here for months. I picked up a PSP at Japanese launch too and it felt like something from the future.

Here's a full report on Amazon being rubbish. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

pjtierney: I take it you have zero chance now of getting a preorder today if you didn't snag one this morning?

They all sold out this morning, I'm afraid, but it's worth checking in for new stock.

StooMonster: I had been downloading stuff to external drive on XboxOneX this morning, and it's got progressively slower. EA Play is live, so I downloaded 'Mass Effect Andromeda' and it's just taken three hours on my 480Mb connection. Xbox servers were slow at 9am but they're slowing to a crawl now at 12pm.

I think download speeds are also throttled if you're running a game, so quit out of everything you can. But yes I imagine those servers are getting hammered right now.

So if you've just got a Series X or S - what are you playing first? And if the answer's not Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - what's wrong with you?

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Though that seems to have sold out super quickly. You've got to move fast to get a new Xbox today, it seems.

hughbarb: Best launch for me was the Gamecube. I camped out for a 9am launch expecting there to be a party atmosphere. It was just us. Didn't need to either, I already had a pre order. But what a line up! Burnout, Monkey Ball, Sonic 2, Luigi... NHL Hitz - how on earth did it sell for £129 at launch?!

Haha - that's commitment!

Although if anyone wants mine, as much as I love it, I'd happily swap it for a new Toyota GR Yaris. Anyone in?

I'm about to take a quick break for lunch - fish finger sandwiches, because today's a special day - so good luck, front door watchers.

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Crocoman: Yes, import launches were cool. Remember getting a Japanese PS1 in May 1995, a Japanese N64 in July 1996 and a Japanese Dreamcast maybe in 2000? Always remember my Japanese Gamecube coming via Lik-sang (remember them??). There's something strangely hypnotic about all that Japanese writing on a small brown box!!

Lik-sang - yes! Ah memories.

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New competition - send us pics of your pets with your new consoles, and win... A mention here?

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To be fair that does sound like you have all the ingredients for a pretty special Tuesday night there.

I just watched a delivery truck pull up outside, and the driver got out unloaded a trolly - which I thought was weird, given the size of the machines - and then pull out two boxes that looked very Xbox in size. 'Two?!' I thought. Maybe I ordered in a bit of a hurry. I got my phone out, prepared myself to take a picture of my very lovely delivery driver, got all excited and... He went over the bloody road. Still no Xbox, and counting.

noboard: There's a DHL delivery van parked in the co-op at the end of the road and I'm the next stop. Enjoy lunch my delivery driver friend

Oh lord the torture of it all.

Phew! I had a similar thing recently where they handed the parcel over to someone who lives at the same number but different street. I'm glad I intercepted it when I did...

Btw, the fish finger sandwiches were exceptional. Sorry to gloat.

AkumaG: Ordered directly from Microsoft, UPS said attempted delivery, nobody there, but no card - turns out my flat number didn't come through from Microsoft, so they got to my building and didn't know who to deliver to and gave up!

*cries*

I'm super old-fashioned and in more normal times would still always elect for going in person to pick up a new piece of hardware rather than having it delivered. It just feels a bit more special that way.

Also then you don't have to be at the whim of nutso delivery companies.

slowdog1976: chicken burger with baconnaise for me martin. yes, baconnaise is a thing.

You win lunch.

That's good intel. When does it arrive though...

This is me every time I hear a van door slide anywhere near me. Or just a car door. Or hear anything really.

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What will you do?!

uzivatel: Collected my Series X on my way to work. I could not resist and set it up at work and now my boss is playing FIFA20 via EA Play on it. Good times.

Perfect!

Still no Xbox here. Ordered from the Microsoft Store. Have been enviously reading reports of other MS Store shoppers getting their machines already. 45 minutes until my delivery window closes. Meanwhile, I peer out of mine.

Incidentally, you can contact us on news@eurogamer.net if you have some lovely pictures of you and your new Xbox. Or the delivery driver. Or a pet inside your Xbox box. Or a pet that is your new Xbox. Or an Xbox that is your new pet.

FalknerHinton: My Series X arrives this morning from the Microsoft Store. Amusingly my PayPal transaction for the console is still listed as "pending". If I was a wrong 'un I'd probably take advantage of that.

A free Xbox!

Funkadory1984: My One X just arrived! Terrible communication from Game.co.uk throughout but it’s arrived on launch day so I guess all is forgiven.

Hope for Game shoppers!

How many of you have bought both a Series X and a Series S, and why? (And are you getting a PlayStation too? And also what job do you do I would like the same salary please.)

That's a nice picture isn't it? It's like they're having a romantic swim together. But why are machines having a swim in the first place? Makes you think.

alexboultwood: Got mine this morning at 8am! Shame I have two kids to look after and can't play it til they go to bed!

Lock them outside and enjoy yourself!

Ha, blimey! And what a well behaved son. Um, so if he's not having it, can I?

Rincewindcl: The eagle has landed!

Caww!

It is a bit weird having a console launch without any big events or parties though, isn't it? They're always fun to laugh at. Do you remember when Pat Cash, Ian Wright, Nell McAndrew and Ricky Hatton helped Nintendo launch the Wii? Exactly. So, the question is: Who would you have had at the Xbox launch?

Going by the things I've been watching on TV lately, I'd have: Sam Heughan in a kilt, Neil DeGrasse Tyson in a spaceship, Keith Urban in a trench coat, and a creepy old dead lady from the bottom of a lake.

And maybe Richard Garriott. You know, he's very nice, I've met him a few times.

MrBelmont: Who can forget the Gizmondo launch http://ukresistance.co.uk/2005/03/lets-laugh-at-some-celebrity-slags-at-the-gizmondo-launch-party/

Ah, Midnight Resistance, what a wonderful site. I miss it.

And by Midnight Resistance I of course mean UK Resistance!

And by Keith Urban I mean Karl Urban. I blame my Xbox not being here for these mistakes you know.

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tompagenet: Joe Wicks?

Ha - yes! Great shout.

EonBlue: Had the delay email from Amazon, order status says delivered by 10pm today, but still hasn't shipped so that ain't happening. So glad I pre-ordered mine as soon orders opened, it's really paid off.

That sucks. Apologies to again to anyone joining us who's having delivery issues with their Xbox. If it's any consolation, mine hasn't turned up yet either.

Here's an Xbox Series S comparison I made earlier which Eurogamer readers might enjoy. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

Shut the front door, it's here! Look how happy he is. "Enjoy it," he said. What a lovely bringer of loveliness. Now literally shut the front door.

I shit you not Bertie, I'm pretty sure I used to play football with your delivery guy.

Brandon (Brendon?). Brighton Seagulls U12s.

hughbarb: Bet that Series S is looking at the Amiga and panicking about its pearly white future

Ha! I'll do my best to report back on what the Series S looks like in 35 years!

Well Taps it's too late now, he's gone! I can't run down the road shouting "Brendan! Brendooooo!" and hope he stops the van, can I? He's off bringing joy to millions more people today. Probably not millions. But he is a bit like Santa Claus if you ask me. Lovely Brendan. Was he any good at football?

Like my rug? Try looking at it while you're drunk. Anyway! I know you've seen these things in their boxes before, but I can't get over how neat and tidy and lovely it all is. (I didn't have any cats in mine.) It's downloading an update now. Got a mind of its own. Doesn't even need me. Bish bash bosh and it's done. Very good, Microsoft, very good.

tompagenet: Congratulations Bertie!

Thank you. I will stop bragging now. Maybe.

@bearskopff: Well, mine will be arriving tomorrow at the earliest. Spoke to a customer rep from Amazon a moment ago who broke the news and mentioned she'd just been verbally abused by someone because of a similar issue. Like, I appreciate not getting your order on release day is a little aggravating (maybe moreso if you've booked the day off) but roaring at a rep who has little to no control over the situation is mega poor form...

A salient point.

DF has a big Microsoft interview for you about the Series S this afternoon. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

tompagenet: It arrived!

Congratulations!

I tell you what, having all those Game Pass titles available feels wonderful. It really does feel a bit like Netflix. And it's lovely to have all that at launch, even though technically they're not launch titles. It's going to be a big thing this generation, isn't it? Downloading Sea of Thieves because of course.

Touchingewe: Well, got the XBox series S from Argos delivered a few minutes ago in plenty of time for our boys this Christmas but the lovely folks from DHL/UK Mail have bashed the corner of the box. Now should I open the actual box and make sure the S is okay or let our boys do it to find it's buggered on Christmas day? Do I plug it in too? Or just check the console is in one piece, arghhh why can't the delivery companies take more damn care with peoples goods!

It will be just fine as it is. It's really well packed inside the box, really well cushioned, so unless that package is battered, you'll be good to go. And: the kids won't notice the box!

It's so quiet, the box. I'm not used to this after my launch PS4, which sounds like my vacuum. I can hear myself think!

Updates from us will dry up for the day soon. Good luck to those of you who are expecting a delivery this evening. Commiserations again to those who missed out. You'll get there eventually and you won't have missed anything. It's been a lovely day chatting with you all.

A lot of you will be snuggled up with a blanket and your new Xbox by now, but you may still be wondering: what was it like at retail stores today? Don't worry - I trekked into town to find out. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

Good lad!

Good morning! Let's see what you've all been talking about. And I wonder, did you get your Xboxes yesterday evening?

kaisersoser: I dont even know it is there. It is a silent monolith, sitting, no blending in, right next to my LG C9. It is beyond silent. And the speed at which everything loads,...I wonder how I survived with load times in the past?! My Xbox one X is looking so lonely now under the TV. All I use it for now is to transfer my old games to its younger brother. Once done, its next stop is EBay. I am never looking back now.

I had this exact experience but with the much sexier Xbox Series X yesterday. I mentioned on about five different occasions how quiet it was. I couldn't even hear it when I put my ear right next to it. And the speed at getting through the menus! I know it sounds silly, but even loading Netflix and Disney+ and other every day apps was a speedy joy.

Much sexier Xbox Series S, sorry! I am infatuated with it.

Here it is, in the cold light of day. No fancy AV set-ups here I'm afraid, just an upended PS4 shoved unceremoniously out of the way, and wire spaghetti in the background. Don't show Digital Foundry, they'll turn me into a chipboard.

What did you play? I tried a few things: Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Ori. And I downloaded a bunch of games I haven't played yet. The kind of games you earmark and promise you'll go back to. The combination of Game Pass and EA Play means there's so much available to try. It's a really nice feeling being able to try so much out when you get a new machine.

Today, I'll be trying Fights in Tight Spaces, which is on Game Preview, and The Falconeer, which looks just lovely.

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AkumaG: Finally got my Series S! Hooray! After literally intercepting the delivery person walking down the wrong road again...

Hah!

AkumaG: Is a review planned for Falconeer? As one of the few new Xbox only (other than PC) games I'm fairly interested...

Just as soon as I can play and write it! I'd better hop to it!

Amazing! Try Maltesers! (You may get chocolate in your vent. I never thought I'd write that on Eurogamer.) To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

jasenichols: Damn: Known Issue: Console streaming to a Windows 10 device from an Xbox Series X|S will not work through the Xbox Console Companion app. Workaround: This feature is only supported through an Xbox One generation device. You can currently stream from an Xbox Series X|S console to an Android or iOS device via the Xbox app. Keep an eye on News.Xbox.com for any updates on further support for additional platforms like PC.

Thanks!