If you want an Xbox One X or Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, now is the time to buy. Microsoft will be discontinuing both consoles in order to clear out its inventory of the next-generation Xbox Series X game console, which will be available this fall.

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft said, "As we move into the future with the Xbox Series X, we are taking the natural step of ending production of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition." Regular Xbox One S units are still being produced and sold, and the statement suggests that will continue for the foreseeable future.

For those taking the next step, Microsoft promises in a blog post by Phil Spencer that the Xbox Series X will work with "all Xbox One games that do not require Kinect." And thanks to Microsoft's Smart Delivery system, those who purchase games such as Gears 5 and Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One will automatically enjoy an enhanced version of the Xbox Series X at no additional cost.

Xbox gamers who are excited about the console's future probably saw this day coming and will be more interested in next Thursday than in today's news. Microsoft plans to announce a major Xbox Series X game at its July 23 event, countering the big buzz that Sony's PS5 event in June generated thanks to high-profile titles such as "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" and "Horizon: Forbidden West." This is to counter Sony's PS5 event in June, which made a big splash thanks to high-profile titles such as "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" and "Horizon.

As explained in our article on the PS5 and Xbox Series X life cycle, the current and previous generation consoles last about 7-8 years, surpassing the PS2/Xbox/GameCube generation, which only lasted 4-5 years before being replaced.

I expect it will be at least 7 or 8, if not 9 years, before the Xbox Series X is packaged up and on more used store shelves than home entertainment systems.