Xbox One set to launch on November 22

Microsoft announced today that its upcoming Xbox One console will launch later this year on November 22 in 13 territories, a week after the PlayStation 4 launches in the US. There has been wide-spread speculation since Sony revealed the release date for the PS4 earlier this year, regarding whether Microsoft would look to launch ahead of Sony. With this release date in place, including launches in the U.S. and the UK, it means that the U.S. will see the Xbox One a week after the PS4, while Europe -- where the PS4 is launching on November 29 -- will see the Xbox One first. Notably, the original Xbox 360 launched on this very same date in 2005 in the U.S., leading Microsoft to call it "a special day in Xbox history." The console will also launch on November 22 in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain. Other markets will follow in 2014.