Microsoft’s Xbox One X console possibly killed off months ahead of the Xbox Series X launch

Microsoft appears to have ended production of new Xbox One X consoles for the Australian market several months ahead of the Xbox Series X’s launch later in the year. A similar situation is likely happening in the United States and other regions too.

The Xbox One X’s end-of-life status in Australia was first noticed by Press Start who confirmed with JB Hi-Fi and EB Games (two of Australia’s largest video game and electronic store chains) that the console had been removed from their systems and that no new stock was expected. The product listing on Amazon Australia has also been removed and the link to buy an Xbox One X console on the official Microsoft Australia website forwards to a page promoting the Xbox One S and says that all Xbox One X models are sold out, suggesting that the Xbox One S will continue to be an option for gamers on a budget going forward at least for the near future.

Curiously, the Xbox Series X page on the USA Xbox website also forwards to a page showing the sold out status of the Xbox One X, prompting users to buy an Xbox One S instead. Amazon is also now showing “Discontinued” in the product title making it incredibly likely that the Xbox One X is being discontinued in most major markets.

While no release date has been confirmed for the Xbox Series X console, it is expected to launch in either November or December which are around four months away. With pre-orders likely going live very soon, it does make sense that Microsoft would want to remove competition by taking the Xbox One X, which would be cheaper than the Series X, off the shelves.

It’s also a good idea for Microsoft to limit the number of Xbox consoles on the market to avoid consumer confusion during the upcoming holiday season. It’s not hard to imagine people getting confused when tasked with choosing between an Xbox One S, Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, Xbox One X, and the Xbox Series X. Never mind the rumored and basically confirmed (though not officially) Xbox Series S console which is expect to launch along the Series X as a cheaper alternative.

The Xbox One X is currently the most-powerful of the Xbox One generation of consoles and offers support for both HDR a 4K gaming and media viewing. It launched in late-November 2017, about three years before the expected launch of the next gen Xbox Series X.

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