Where to buy the Xbox Series X / Series S

Update March 18th, 2021 2:19PM ET: Walmart plans to restock both the Xbox Series X and Series S today at 2:30PM ET, while supplies last.

Microsoft’s next-gen gaming consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S, came out in November, but buying one even now has been challenging due to the pandemic. If you have a hard time keeping up with restocks on where to buy either console, don’t worry. We are here to help you keep tabs and better your chances of securing either next-gen Xbox console.

Keep in mind that due to the high demand of this console, supply will not last long, with inventory selling out typically less than an hour after being made available. Nevertheless, we’ll do our best to keep this article updated with the latest in-stock alerts and tell you when the most recent restock was available at the retailers.

We will also note any opportunities to buy either Xbox console through the Xbox All Access Plan.

Where can I buy an Xbox Series X / Series S right now?

Due to the pandemic, most retailers, including Best Buy and Target, will only sell the console online until further notice. We see restocks happening multiple times throughout a week from various retailers; most notably, we have seen frequent restocks recently appear at Best Buy, GameStop, Microsoft Store, and Walmart, in particular.

The Xbox Series S costs $300 and is currently the most affordable ninth-generation home gaming console. It is smaller, less powerful, and lacks a disc drive, limiting you to only playing digital games. The $500 Xbox Series X serves as Microsoft’s flagship gaming console, including a disc drive and more powerful hardware.

What accessories do I need to buy for the Xbox Series X / Series S?

Whether you purchase the most affordable next-gen console (the Xbox Series S) or Microsoft’s most powerful gaming console to date (Series X), they share many accessories that will help you get the most out of your experience.

If you plan to share this console and play local co-op games with family or friends, the purchase of an additional controller is a must. Normally $60, the new Xbox controller does get discounted sometimes.

If you are planning to subscribe to both Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass, I recommend consolidating those separate purchases and subscribing to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It combines both services into one package, while also providing additional access to Game Pass for PC and access to Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, xCloud.

When it comes to additional storage, both consoles are rather limited: 512GB on the Series S, 1TB on the Series X. You can buy an SSD expansion card that only comes in 1TB, but it is very expensive, costing $220.

There is a solution that can alleviate this until additional SSD options are made available — specifically, using an external hard drive. Ideally, I would suggest buying an external hard drive if you plan to play some older games so you don’t use up your limited SSD.