This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2020, CNET’s gift picks with expert advice, reviews and recommendations for the latest tech gifts for you and your family.
If you’re looking for an Xbox Series X ($500) or Xbox Series S ($300) — and honestly, who isn’t — I’ve got some bad news for you. Microsoft released its pair of next-generation gaming consoles — the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S three weeks ago, yet very few of us have anything to show for it. The console sold out more or less instantly when it debuted on Nov. 10 as well as in every subsequent inventory drop at major retailers, in part due to seemingly insatiable demand and in part due to resellers beating average consumers to the punch.
You’re not in this fight alone, though. We’re keeping track of all the Cyber Monday restocks happening for the Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, retailers have been relatively quiet. While Walmart, Antonline and GameStop recently replenished their Xbox Series inventory and sold out within minutes, we haven’t seen much other news or activity. That’s more or less what we expected; Microsoft confirmed on Nov. 16 that Xbox inventory could be tight through April 2021.
That doesn’t mean the occasional inventory drop won’t happen, though, so it pays to keep an eye out for restocks. What follows is a list of the major retailers selling the Xbox Series X. Our advice is to seek out the $500 retail price and avoid those pricey retailer bundles (which include extraneous controllers, accessories and games).
Xbox Series X: Check inventory restock
Amazon is selling the Xbox Series X and the less expensive Series S from this same product page.
Best Buy was the last retailer standing back in the preorder days of September, but now stands ready for your Xbox Series X purchase as inventory allows.
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.
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.
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 $750.
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Xbox Series X and Series S offer a fine-tuned, streamlined…
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