For the past few months, we’ve been maintaining chronological guides on how both Sony and Microsoft have gotten to the launches of the next-gen machines launching this week (and in PS5’s case, Europe and the UK next week).

But in the first of two episodes of Press Play coming this week – and after fixing some massive technical hurdles – we go over how Microsoft went from the failed unveil and release of Xbox One to build itself back up with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S under Phil Spencer’s leadership as well as the introduction of Xbox Game Pass and bolstering its first-party through acquisitions.

And that little matter of buying Bethesda for $7.5 billion roughly two months out from the launch of both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.