Microsoft will launch the Xbox One, its latest games console, on 22 November, it has been revealed.
It will initially be available in 13 countries – the UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.
Remaining markets will follow in early 2014, the company confirmed.
The release date has beaten rival Sony’s PS4 release date by a week, perhaps an intentional move or mone that could turn out to be profitable for Microsoft, with the only exception being North America, where Sony’s console will be available on 15 November.
The releases set up the first new console war since 2006, the last both Sony and Microft had competing gaming machines.
Xbox’s marketing VP, Yusuf Mehdi, announced the firm’s rollout plans in a statement.
"The culmination of many years of listening to you, our fans, developing innovative technology, and partnering with the best game and entertainment partners in the industry has brought us to this point," he said.
"There is still a lot more work to do, but the teams are making excellent progress and are focused on launch."
He confirmed that the console recently entered full production in preparation for the launch. Pre-orders had sold out faster than any of the company’s previous gaming products, Mehdi explained.
He also confirmed that the console’s CPU had been upgraded by around 10% – from 1.6Ghz to 1.75Ghz.
Microsoft’s console will retail for £429 in the UK, while Sony’s will be priced at £349.
