Microsoft said yesterday that it would delay the launch of its XBox video game console by one week to November 15 but declined to say whether the number of units available at launch would meet the company's initial target or fall short, as many now believe inevitable.

The decision to delay the much-anticipated launch of the next-generation game platform was taken in the past week after a review of the company's preparations, said Mr Robbie Bach, chief XBox officer for Microsoft.

Microsoft still plans to ship between 1 million and 1.5 million units to retailers by the end of the calendar year, Mr Bach said.