{"id":3583,"date":"2026-04-13T16:55:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/article.php?article_id=2125842"},"modified":"2026-04-13T16:55:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:55:15","slug":"microsoft-and-sony-both-lamented-how-next-gen-console-pre-orders-went-xbox-boss-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/microsoft-and-sony-both-lamented-how-next-gen-console-pre-orders-went-xbox-boss-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft and Sony both “lamented” how next-gen console pre-orders went, Xbox boss says"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Neither Microsoft or Sony were happy with how next-gen pre-orders went this year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said. <\/p>\n

Amidst early morning rushes, online queues, numerous retailer fails<\/a> and stolen deliveries, the launch of multiple next-gen consoles has been a bit of a mixed bag.<\/p>\n

Speaking on The Verge<\/a>‘s Decoder podcast, Spencer said both he and PlayStation head honcho Jim Ryan had “lamented” how frustrating an experience it had been for people simply trying to put down money for a console – and suggested something would have to change next time around. <\/p>\n

“I do think this business is going through, both for us and Sony – Jim Ryan [at Sony], I have a lot of respect for him, we both have lamented how these pre-orders have gone and what problem are we really solving when we seem to still have as many upset customers as we have, because they can’t get our product,” Spencer said. “I do think it’s going to push us to think about new models. It could be, reserve your slot. It could be doing things more direct with the customer. [We] still could have the retailer fulfil the order, but just so people can have more clarity on when they can get a console. It’s something we’re working on.”<\/p>\n

Rather than limit console orders to just pre-orders, both companies still released some stock on their respective launch days in a bid to drum up retail excitement. But Spencer appeared to question whether this practice should continue.<\/p>\n

“We want people to feel like there’s some consoles to go buy, and it’s not just the day where everybody gets to go pick up their [pre-ordered] console. I don’t know if that’s the right decision in today’s world,” Spencer continued. “That’s very old world thinking, people are going to go line up outside of a store, kind of last decade thinking. I think we should challenge ourselves on that. Is that really the supply chain through the consumer that we’re talking about, that is a reality? We talked to our retail partners about this as well.”<\/p>\n

It’s a wide-ranging interview, and well worth a read to hear Spencer’s thoughts on console exclusives, cloud gaming, and Microsoft’s browser-based ploy to get around Apple’s game subscription service rules<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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