Even many months after its debut, finding an Xbox Series X|S is not particularly easy. Even though they are sporadically restocked at a number of retailers, they tend to be bought out very quickly, even if the stock is in the form of a very expensive bundle. Making matters worse is the way restocks often occur without much notice, so a lot of people don’t even know stock was available until it is sold out again.
Admittedly, it’s been significantly easier to find a Series S than a Series X. In fact, at times, Series S consoles have been available for several hours or even several days before the stock gets bought out. There’s a number of ways you can try to improve your odds of finding a Series X, as well as many methods actual providers are using to try and solve their stock problems.
First of all, Microsoft is expanding their stock for the Console Purchase Pilot, their program which gives Xbox Insiders members register for the ability to potentially reserve a console. At the same time, Target has allegedly changed their process for Xbox restocks, allowing their stores to put up stock for either console as soon as it is locally available, instead of the stores waiting for specified restock dates. This will at least mean Target restocks will be more frequent. That said, only online ordering will be available, and you’ll have to pick them up in-store.
Paying more than list price isn’t something we particularly recommend, but if you are truly desperate to get a Series X|S and are willing to pay extra to do that, StockX always has inventory available. StockX is an auction site where the price you pay is determined by how much the seller wants and how much you’re willing to pay, so the price of a Series X|S there fluctuates wildly, but you can bet no one is selling for list price or lower.
You can occasionally find restocks at other retail sites like Antonline or even the Microsoft store, but those restocks are rarely scheduled and often without notice. For those, you’ll have to either follow restock accounts on Twitter or check listings manually.
Outside of that, there are a few things you can do to increase your odds of finding a console. As said before, you should follow restock accounts on Twitter, but you should also be ready in advance when you do get news of a restock. Being ready to press the button and order your console at the exact moment they become available will help you get one, as many other prospective buyers will be doing the same.
Also consider buying a bundle, if that’s within your price range. Naturally, a bundle may include some things you don’t necessarily care about, but bundles tend to stay in stock longer than the console alone, giving you a bigger window of opportunity to get one when they are back in stock again.
