The Xbox Series X and Series S are two of the most popular items this holiday season, but you are likely going to have trouble finding one if you didn’t preorder them as soon as they were available. The restocks we saw during periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday sold out so quickly that even refreshing a page the second they were restocked wasn’t enough, and they often went to scalpers who used bots and resold the consoles for way above MSRP. Since them, subsequent restocks have sold out within minutes, too. Walmart and Best Buy both had stock today (December 15), but once again, consoles were difficult to secure. Christmas is quickly approaching, but there is still a chance to get an Xbox Series X or S this year. You just have to know where and when to look.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both in the rear-view mirror, meaning there’s no obvious date to look forward to for the next restock. Microsoft hasn’t offered any clear statements on the situation, including whether more Xbox Series X inventory will be sent to retailers before the end of the year. If any retailers announce restock times for the Xbox Series X or S in the coming weeks, we’ll include those details here. In the meantime, here’s what we know about Xbox Series X availability at GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, and more.
Where to buy the Xbox Series X|S
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X released on November 10 and are sold out everywhere.
Xbox Series X availability at GameStop
We don’t know when you’ll be able to buy an Xbox Series X from GameStop again.
GameStop restocked limited quantities of the Xbox Series X and S in stores on Black Friday. It’s unclear how many units on average were available per store, but GameStop promised a minimum of two Series X units would be available at each location. Many hopeful Xbox Series X purchasers camped outside GameStop stores on Thursday evening with the hopes of being early enough to buy the console. There were also expensive bundles with games and controllers on the GameStop website that also sold out immediately. More recently, these bundles have been offered in-store in order to avoid scalping bots. Should this happen again, it will give you a better chance, assuming you have one nearby.
Xbox Series X availability at Best Buy
We don’t know when you’ll be able to buy an Xbox Series X from Best Buy again.
Best Buy has confirmed it will not have any Xbox Series X or Series S units in brick-and-mortar stores until 2021, and the store told GameSpot the Xbox Series X/S will be up for purchase on BestBuy.com whenever units are available. We’ve seen next-gen consoles pop up on Best Buy’s website without much warning. The most recent of these appeared to be November 28, which was the day after Black Friday. With this most recent restock, the consoles were only available for in-store pickup, and not every store had them.
Xbox Series X availability at Walmart
We don’t know when you’ll be able to buy an Xbox Series X from Walmart again.
Walmart has removed its Xbox Series X and Series S listings, and they’ve also been blocked from showing up in Brickseek, which indicates availability at local stores. This suggests Walmart won’t have another Xbox restock in the near future.
Walmart’s restocks have been particularly frustrating. Though the store often announces specific restock days and times ahead of time, each Xbox restock has been met with site crashes, slow loading, and near-immediate sellout. This was especially the case during Walmart’s Black Friday Xbox Series X restock, and the store has not released future plans to restock the system yet. If they do, the exact restock time will likely appear on the listings. Currently, they only have a general “sold out” notice.
Xbox Series X availability at Amazon
We don’t know when you’ll be able to buy an Xbox Series X from Amazon again.
Amazon has had very little Xbox Series X|S inventory since the consoles first launched on November 10, and there’s no word on a restock in the near future. Amazon’s listings even say, “We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.”
Xbox Series X availability at Target
We don’t know when you’ll be able to buy an Xbox Series X from Target again.
Though Target’s Black Friday 2020 ad showed the Xbox Series X, the store only restocked the system on launch day. We have not seen Xbox restocks on Target since then. That’s not to say Target definitely won’t have any, but it’s the only major retailer that hasn’t restocked at least a few times.
Xbox Series X availability at other retailers
Electronics store Newegg said on Twitter that it’s expecting to get more Xbox Series X inventory the third week of December, but no specific restock date was given. Newegg usually announces Xbox restocks the day of–sometimes just 10 minutes beforehand–so following it on Twitter is a good way to get notified.
We’ve seen sporadic restocks on the Microsoft Store, but they’re never announced ahead of time. The latest Xbox restock from Microsoft’s own store was on December 8.
If you miss out on restocks at the major retailers, reseller sites like StockX have plenty of units available, though be prepared to pay more than list price. Right now, buyers are asking around $380 for the Series S and $730 for the Series X. If you do buy from a reseller, make sure the Xbox console you’re getting has the right type of plug for your region.
Xbox Series X|S accessories
A wide range of Xbox Series X headsets, controllers, and other accessories are available.
The great thing about Xbox Series X accessories is that the vast majority of products that were compatible with Xbox One work with the Series X and S as well, including headsets and controllers.
New Xbox Wireless Controllers released alongside the Xbox Series X and Series S, and they’re available in Carbon Black, Robot White, and Shock Blue. They feature a more ergonomic design; textured grips on the bumpers, triggers, and back case; and an Elite controller-inspired hybrid D-pad for improved precision. The updated controllers also have a new integrated Share button for capturing and recording gameplay moments.
Xbox Series X|S games and Game Pass subscription
Microsoft is pushing its Xbox Game Pass subscription for next-gen, which grants access to a massive, rotating library of games for a monthly fee, including the ability to play first-party games like Halo Infinite on day one. New subscribers can sign up for their first month of Game Pass Ultimate for $1–do this before you take advantage of any Game Pass deals online. You’ll also get an extra month of Game Pass Ultimate for free if you turn on recurring billing (it has to be turned off before you redeem a code in order to get the prompt).
Check out our list of all the Xbox Series X launch games available at launch as well as new Xbox games coming soon.
