The debate over the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S questionable names has been reignited once again, this time by the colorful and often outspoken developer, Josef Fares.
Fares, who developed A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, expressed his bewilderment and disdain for the Xbox Series X name in an interview with IGN, and claimed that even Microsoft themselves are confused.
"That's a f**king confusing name," Josef said. "What the f**k's going on with Microsoft? They're losing it, man. What the f**k is going on? Like Series S, X, Mex, Next. I mean, who knows this? Come on. Madness. Call it the Microsoft Box and that's it. I don't know. It's a total f**king mess. Trust me, even them, they're confused in their offices. What is this X, S... I don't know, what the f**k."
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When pre-orders opened for the Xbox Series X back in September last year, the aging Xbox One X saw a surprising sales resurgence on Amazon, jumping 747%. This led people to believe that consumers had accidentally bought an Xbox One X instead of an Xbox Series X, with the blame falling on Microsoft’s awfully similar naming policy.
Fares has made headlines before due to his candid opinions and habit to drop the F-bomb. During The Game Awards in 2017, Fares appearance went viral as he shouted “f**k the Oscars” before showing off his game.
Naming game
While Sony has marked each new generation of PlayStation with a number, Microsoft made a rod for its own back when it launched the Xbox 360 after the original Xbox. It complicated matters further when it released the Xbox One, along with the Xbox One S, Xbox One S All-Digital Edition and Xbox One X models which soon followed. Now that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are in the market, there’s the potential that some lesser informed consumers will be confused at a glance.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer, however, disagrees. In an interview with Kotaku back in August last year, Phil Spencer said: "On the pronunciation capability of S and X, I kind of agree they're not the easiest words to enunciate or letters to enunciate completely, but I think it'll be pretty obvious when someone goes into the store."
It turns out Spencer was right, as the Xbox Series X name hasn’t stopped Microsoft from achieving a record breaking launch, with both its flagship console and the smaller, more affordable Xbox Series S continuing to be sold out at retailers.
If you’re still searching where to buy Xbox Series X or where to buy Xbox Series S, we’re keeping our eye on all the retailers to help you secure the elusive consoles.
