Microsoft’s next-generation console launched within days of Sony’s PS5 and suffered the same fate: woefully thin inventory and crushing demand meant it sold out within minutes. The Xbox Series X remains mostly unavailable today, four months later, though some light is starting to break through the clouds: In the last week or so we saw persistent availability at retailers including Walmart, Best Buy and GamePower. And though those retailers are currently sold out again, availability lasted far longer than at any time since Nov. 10.
The overwhelming demand for the Xbox is due in part to its advanced specifications, despite the fact that the gaming experience on the Series X isn’t a whole lot different than what you already get with an Xbox One, at least at the moment. As the library of Series X-optimized games expands, that’ll change. Want to be thoroughly future-proofed? Get the $500 Xbox Series X. But if you don’t have a 4K TV — and don’t plan on getting one anytime soon — the Xbox Series S can save you $200.
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Regardless of which model you plan to buy, inventory is all but impossible to find right now unless you want to buy the All Access edition, which is substantially more expensive than the console on its own (you pay a total of $840 over two years). But for the latest updates on restocks, check back here frequently. You can monitor Xbox availability on your own as well; Twitter is a popular (if not entirely reliable) source of restock rumors. But here at CNET, we occasionally get word directly from retailers and other tipsters about upcoming inventory restocks, and when we do, we put out the word immediately.
This much is true: It will probably be months before normal inventory levels appear in stores, so getting your own Xbox before summer is likely to be a challenge. Microsoft recently said that it expects inventory to be short through June.
Here’s a list of all the major retailers (and high-profile resellers) where you can monitor stock and availability.
Xbox Series X Restock Possibilities
You can find both the Xbox Series X and the less expensive Series S from the same Amazon product page.
This is the product page for the Xbox Series at GameStop.
Here’s where to find the Xbox Series X at Best Buy (when inventory drops).
You might also want to visit the retailer’s Xbox landing page to see both new consoles, but here’s the product page for the Xbox Series X.
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.
This is Target’s product page for the Xbox Series X.
This is where you can purchase the Xbox Series X at Newegg when the retailer has inventory.
We highly recommend waiting for inventory to appear at ordinary retailers so you can buy an Xbox Series X at the regular retail price. But if you simply can’t wait, be advised that the average Xbox Series X price on eBay is about $800.
Are you willing to pay a premium of hundreds of dollars over the list price? We don’t recommend you do it, but StockX is a reputable eBay-style site that will let you buy a new Xbox — as long as you’re willing to pay $650 or more.
This story is frequently updated with the latest Xbox Series X inventory news.
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