If you're like millions of other gamers, you've been waiting for an Xbox Series X ever since Microsoft announced its new family of consoles over a year ago. The product launch on Nov. 10 didn't go well -- enormous demand, anemic inventory, and efficient attacks from bots and resellers kept most people from getting one of the sought-after consoles at ordinary retail prices. There have been a few inventory drops over the last few months, but in every case precious few customers managed to snag a unit.
Twitter remains a resource for many gamers to check on restock news, but even when the leads are credible, gamers rarely get more than a few minutes' warning and inventory sells out within minutes. That's what happened last week, for example, when unaffiliated Twitter user @Wario64 gave the world an hour's notice about a Walmart inventory drop. Even so, better times are ahead -- just not this week.
Our advice is to seek out the $500 retail price and avoid those pricey retailer bundles (which include extraneous controllers, accessories and games). Even better: If you don't have a 4K TV and don't expect to get one anytime soon, try the Xbox Series S instead to save $200.
Currently, there's no inventory to be had anywhere, and we don't expect that to change anytime soon: Microsoft confirmed back in November that Xbox inventory could be tight through April 2021. Even Twitter is quiet right now, with no notable inventory drops expected this week.
But we're keeping an eye on Twitter and other sources of news, and we'll keep you up to date on what retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, GameStop and Target are planning. What follows is a list of the major retailers selling the Xbox Series X.
- Xbox Series X review: Game Pass is the secret weapon
- Xbox Series X vs. Xbox Series S: It's all about 4K vs. 1440
- The best Xbox Series X games you'll need to play
- PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: The next-gen consoles we're buying and why
Xbox Series X: Check inventory restock
Best Buy was the last retailer standing back in the preorder days, but now stands ready for your Xbox Series X purchase as inventory allows.
Amazon is selling the Xbox Series X and the less expensive Series S from this same product page.
GameStop had touted "very limited number of Xbox Series X and S console bundles for purchase" but those are currently sold out.
Walmart does a solid job of noting availability windows for PS5 and Xbox on its Twitter feed. You might also want to visit the retailer's Xbox landing page for both new consoles.
If you want to get the latest on the Xbox Series X, there's probably nowhere better than Microsoft's own Xbox Series X home page. Here you'll find the latest specs, announced game titles, details on the new controller and more.
Are you already getting desperate? Are you willing to pay a premium of hundreds of dollars over the list price? Listen, we wouldn't do this and we don't recommend you do it, either. But if you want to take that path, StockX is a reputable eBay-style site that will let you buy and sell new Xbox and PS5 models -- as long as you're willing to pay upwards of $650.
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