The next generation of consoles has arrived. Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X consoles are now available. Both the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S launched two days ago on November 10. The PS5 followed, launching today, November 12. Console video game fans have a lot to be excited about, and console manufacturers, too. As has become normalized in recent generations, Xbox took the opportunity to congratulate PlayStation for the launch of the PS5.
In a message on Twitter, the Xbox account sent a message to the PlayStation account. Xbox's message is one of good-natured congratulations. It reads as follows, "Generation after generation, it's a pleasure to game alongside you. Happy launch day @PlayStation." It's a message encouraging fans of both Xbox and PlayStation to put apart any contentious feelings and to share in the excitement of the hobby of playing games. While the world is a challenging place right now, this is a great opportunity for gamers to come together.
The tweet notably quotes another tweet made from the Xbox account from 2013. That tweet is, of course, the message that Xbox posted when Sony launched the PlayStation 4 on November 15, 2013. It goes to show that the so-called "console war" is more of a friendly rivalry, at least from a public-facing perspective. It also goes to show that Twitter has been around for a surprisingly long time now. It wouldn't be surprising to see Xbox quoting this tweet in another 7 or so years, and so on.
The modern tweet is full of replies from both Xbox and PlayStation fans with all manner of comments. It includes a message from Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, offering a more personalized congratulations to many of PlayStation's leadership team. Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios thanks Spencer for the message, saying that he hopes both the PS5 and Xbox Series X "bring joy to people during these challenging times."
Since the Xbox Series X launched first, PlayStation had the privilege of congratulation the Xbox team first. It didn't do so in as direct a manner as Xbox did, but the heart of the message was clear. PlayStation replied to an Xbox tweet about the Xbox Series X with a video clip. The clip comes from Mortal Kombat 11, showing Jax's Friendship finisher that has him playing the saxophone. Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon even approved.
Even the perception of positive attitudes can be invaluable in the current state of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit everyone in small and large ways. And that includes the video game industry. The launch of both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X was likely imagined to be entirely different this time in 2019. So it's good to see some friendliness and cheer, if only for a time.
