Xbox One X And SNES Classic Edition Still Can’t Be Pre-Ordered, And Here’s Who To Blame

Gamers will have no shortage of new hardware to blow their hard-earned cash on this holiday season, with both the Xbox One X and retro SNES Classic Edition on the way, but oddly, neither machine can be pre-ordered yet. It feels like fans have been able to pre-order new consoles much earlier in years past, and yet, here we are, only months away from two big launches with no solid information about pre-orders. What's going on?

Well, it turns out this may be the fault of the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. The FCC regulates all technology that transmits data in the U.S., which includes the wireless adapters inside all modern consoles. That means they can't be put on sale without FCC approval. The Xbox One X listing on Microsoft's online store confirms the system doesn't yet have FCC approval, stating:

"This device has not been approved by the Federal Communications Commission. It is not for sale until FCC approval has been obtained."

Xbox boss Phil Spencer also indirectly confirmed the FCC issue in a recent tweet, saying Microsoft is still working to get all their approvals.

Sorry,. We know we have to get the pre-order rolling. No issues, just working through all the approvals.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) June 29, 2017

As is their wont, Nintendo has been cagier about why you can't pre-order a SNES Classic Edition, although chances are they're also stuck waiting for the FCC to come through.

So, why is FCC approval seemingly taking longer than it used to? It probably isn't the FCC's fault. Recently, clever/obsessive fans discovered you can get a heads up on new hardware by keeping a close eye on FCC filings. That was how the Xbox One S was leaked back in 2016. As such, companies like Microsoft and Nintendo are probably waiting until after they reveal new hardware to file with the FCC. That means fewer leaks, with the side effect being fans get less time to pre-order.

The SNES Classic Edition launches on September 29, while the Xbox One X comes our way on November 7.

[via I4U News]