Today is the day the Xbox Series X goes on sale around the world, but there are going to be a lot of disappointed gamers who can't get their hands on one.

Even pre-orders are not enough to ensure you get your console on launch day, and Amazon has confirmed that you may have to wait until December 31 for your new Xbox to arrive.

Some Amazon customers have begun receiving emails saying that they "expect to ship some consoles in the coming weeks in order to receive more inventory in November and December." Therefore, it is estimated that affected pre-orders will be delivered by December 31 at the latest, rather than arriving this week as people had hoped.

It doesn't look good that Amazon sent the email the day before the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were to be released; the PS5 delay is not great, but considering how much notice was given to customers, they could have pre-ordered at another retailer instead.

Of course, demand for both the Xbox Series X and the PS5 is incredibly high, and both Sony and Microsoft are trying to catch up, so the delay could last well into next year.

It was expected that some people would not be able to get their consoles on release day, but usually, reserving something means that it is guaranteed; for Amazon, this is obviously not the case.

Affected customers still have a chance to pick up an Xbox Series X at another retailer. Nevertheless, the consoles will likely sell out quickly. Unfortunately, it is not clear how many people are affected and how that will affect the difficulty of getting a console today.

If you really want to get your hands on an Xbox Series X today and don't want to wait for Amazon to sort out its mess, be sure to check the inventory page for the latest retailer updates.