Xbox Series X Stock Situation

[Absolute]

Hi all, I know ... another person complaining about being unable to get a next gen console. First world problems.

I am in the UK & Ireland region and have been looking to buy MS's new console. I was under the impression that Microsoft was doing ok on the production side with consoles starting to be manufactured many months before launch. Is allocation being focused on the US market or are they just just struggling at this point to make more consoles? I've been on many waitlists since launch day with Amazon UK being the major one. Since launch I have received many notifications about consoles being available through 3rd party sellers at a huge mark up but never once on Amazon or Symths or others has the console become available at regular price through normal sellers. I am specifically talking about online sellers as covid has made retail hunting difficult.

Have I missed PR from Microsoft explaining the situation? I remember reading that they expect stock to be scarce until March 2021 but I have literally not seen a regular console be available at cost since launch day. Is anyone else having a similar experience or am I completely off base? I know in the UK the monthly payment console has become available but this option is not offered to residents of Rep. of Ireland. I've seen the PS5 become available at some points which almost seems more bizarre as it seems to be even more in demand here.

As I mentioned it's not a life or death issue, I waited 8 months to get a Switch but I'm just finding the situation a bit baffling. Apologies if the thread is lockworthy, not my intention to waste people's time.

Edit: obviously my first thread would be posted in the wrong section. FML. I'd appreciate if it could be moved, thanks.

 

[Anustart]

I'm wondering the last time it was easy to find a console shortly after launch? Shouldn't be that shocking.

 

[ZeoVGM]

I legitimately think it will be easy to find a Series X very soon.

 

[CaptainK]

Scalper bots always seem to grab a ton of units whenever online retailers get re-stocked. Sucks, but just wait 'till next year.

 

[bsigg]

MS has publicly said they expect stock to be an issue until the spring. I would expect random stock to pop up from time to time with wide availability happening in May or so.

 

[spectrumfox]

I legitimately think it will be easy to find a Series X very soon.

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Why do you think that?

 

[CanUKlehead]

Series S appears to be available on a regular basis in the EU, but not the X.

Soon enough, I would imagine. I bought an X for my stepdaughter for Xmas but haven't had luck since either. I'll probably wait and go All Access on that one, as I'll use it primarily for Game Pass.

 

[Absolute]

MS has publicly said they expect stock to be an issue until the spring. I would expect random stock to pop up from time to time with wide availability happening in May or so.

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I get this but shouldn't stock be randomly appearing? They manufacture X amount a month. My problem is I just don't see where it is.

Series S appears to be available on a regular basis in the EU, but not the X.

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Not that I doubt you or that I want to buy a Series S but this is not the case for me.

 

[Mad_Rhetoric]

Demand is high and stock is low, so dont expect to find one easily for retail price.

 

[Deleted member 49535]

Yeah, same thing here. Amazon Spain sent me an email they were going to get more PS5s and I was able to get one, but I never got such an email for XSX. I suspect they're focusing on the US.

 

[bsigg]

I get this but shouldn't stock be randomly appearing? They manufacture X amount a month. My problem is I just don't see where it is.

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They're flooding specific markets. In the US we see stock pop up every couple days, I'm not really sure what they're doing with the UK. I believe it's come up a handful of times since November 10th, but nowhere near as often as in the US.

 

[JusDoIt]

I legitimately think it will be easy to find a Series X very soon.

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If by soon you mean early 2021, I guess. Consoles are going to be in short supply for the whole holiday season, though.

 

[Indelible]

It was fairly easy for me to get a Series X, seems to go in and out of stock frequently online.

 

[christocolus]

MS has publicly said they expect stock to be an issue until the spring. I would expect random stock to pop up from time to time with wide availability happening in May or so.

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this.

 

[SRTtoZ]

I'm wondering the last time it was easy to find a console shortly after launch? Shouldn't be that shocking.

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Last gen wasn't even close to being this bad. I remember still seeing Day One edition Xbox Ones on the shelf for a while and even PS4 sold out but you could still find one if you tried.

 

[BloodHound]

Gonna be tough until March.

 

[Hawk269]

I am in the U.S. and I had a hard time finding one for my wife, but I finally did. It took me a solid 10 days of searching various web sites and getting so close, but I finally was able to get on at a retailer in person. I am still in need of a Series S but that has been really hard to find. They are making as many as they can, it is just the demand for both consoles are immense and as soon as some pop up on-line they are snagged very fast.

 

[Absolute]

So it seems like my North American friends are having an easier time of it. That's ok. I understand all the problems that exist in 2020 so I am not trying to be unreasonable, I guess the lack of communication is just causing issues for me.

 

[Loud Wrong]

Amazon and Target haven't had a restock in ages. Makes me wonder what MS production numbers are like.

So it seems like my North American friends are having an easier time of it. That's ok. I understand all the problems that exist in 2020 so I am not trying to be unreasonable, I guess the lack of communication is just causing issues for me.

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We are not.

 

[T0kenAussie]

Production numbers are only half the problem when logistics have been just as fucked if not more so due to covid,
I have seen 2 restocks in Aus but never a high amount like 20 per retailer store and they all go in minutes but it's hard to gauge anecdotally

 

[YukiroCTX]

I did a post launch preorder 2020 (since I was slower) on the same day preorders for day 1 launch went out and still no word when I'll receive it in NZ. Would think you would at least be given some sort of date for a preorder if stores overseas are getting restocks but I guess COVID/Shipping is a nightmare.

 

[nath999]

In Canada there seemed to be a fair bit of restock or at least some random stock drops. I've helped two of my friends secure a Series X and S.

That being said I really wouldn't expect either console to be readily available until March 2021, the demand is still quite high. With the current pandemic gaming has probably grown even bigger.

 

[Shatty McKracken]

Neither Series X or S are readily available in the US with all new stock getting zapped up in seconds as soon as it appears online. UK isn't the only one with that issue. As for worldwide allocations per territory, I haven't seen any official allocation numbers but UK is an important territory to Microsoft so I can't imagine they're sending like 90% to US and 10% everywhere else.

 

[The Lord of Cereal]

It's probably worse this gen compared to previous generations because of Covid limiting production, scalper bots instantly buying up stock as well as higher demand than regular. Should balance out within a few months, but it definitely does suck

 

[Deleted member 5359]

X is not going to give it to me

 

[AM_LIGHT]

Here in the middle east both series X/S are still available everywhere at their MSRP. You can even find some at below that on auction sites . PS5 is sold out everywhere and any new stock is sold out within minutes.

 

[Replicant]

Series X has been by far the hardest and least common console to drop since launch. MS didn't start getting them off the line until August and they were probably pretty behind as is. Them manufacturing a completely separate console probbaly makes matters worse.

 

[cvxfreak]

I was back in the US in late November. I wanted to get an Xbox Series X for my parents' house, but I had zero luck procuring one. I managed to score one in Japan, where it has hilariously been even harder to get one than the US from the sound of it. While in the US, I actually ended up nabbing an extra PS5 at Best Buy instead, which I didn't need so I passed onto someone else. Really unexpected.

 

[The Pet of the Month]

In the ME my mates tell me you can find an Xbox pretty easily. Fly out to the UAE, it's nice and warm!

But in America it took me weeks to find another, and the only reason I got it was cuz I got lucky and found an Xbox that was attached to a cancelled order.

 

[regenhuber]

It's possible to get one here in Berlin.

Buddy of mine called two stores and the second one had 3 units.
Online it's sold out everywhere though.

 

[Matush]

I see XSX left and right here in Slovakia, while PS5 is sold out everywhere.

 

[VE3TRO]

Amazon DE and ES are getting them in.

 

[Absolute]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Makes me feel a little better about my frustration.

 

[WJD]

I'm also UK&I and managed to quite easily get my hands on a Series X through Amazon on release day. I've seen it go up in various other places since that I could have bought extras from if I'd wanted to.

Follow some of the stock Twitter accounts and turn on notifications. Stock isn't hanging around, but Series X's tend to hang around longer than PS5s at least.

 

[Deleted member 46948]

I'd check Evil Corp (Facebook) Marketplace.
There aren't any in stock in my country (EU), but Facebook Marketplace has a ton of them at retail price.

 

[NekoNeko]

Not that I doubt you or that I want to buy a Series S but this is not the case for me.

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what country? here they have stacks of them in stores but never saw an X.

 

[Deleted member 3196]

I'm also UK&I and managed to quite easily get my hands on a Series X through Amazon on release day. I've seen it go up in various other places since that I could have bought extras from if I'd wanted to.

Follow some of the stock Twitter accounts and turn on notifications. Stock isn't hanging around, but Series X's tend to hang around longer than PS5s at least.

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Basically this. PS5 is gone in seconds (literally impossible to get one), but you actually have a chance at grabbing a Series X if you're quick enough. Though they are usually gone in minutes so it's not like it's much better.

I expect all of this to calm down in the new year, though. Right now it's a boiling pot of lock down leaving people with a lot of disposable income (not spending on other things like eating out and such), people wanting a shiny new console, scalpers and Christmas all feeding into the frenzy for both systems.

After Christmas demand will slip, and that will have the knock-on effect of scalpers not getting as lucrative margins on these systems. That in turn brings down the amount of stock they snap up.

But it's going to be a slow trickle to regular availability. Personally I've decided to wait until I can get a system on Xbox All Access via GAME or Smyths.

 

[Bulby]

Still looking in Germany aswell bruv

 

[TheNAC]

Not sure if it means anything but the scalpers in my local area are now down to $700 for the Series Xs on their listings while the PS5s are at $900.

 

[bes.gen]

i was able to purchase a series x from bestbuy canada last week at a stock drop.
and it was nowhere difficult, kept it at cart for a while, entered payment info from scratch, hesitated, had to convince myself again etc lol.
i think it was available for half an hour or so.
series s stayed in stock for almost 10 hours that day as well.

 

[pswii60]

There was XSX stock on Amazon UK last week (and I grabbed one for a mate) and Amazon Germany yesterday - I posted links to both on here when the stock was available. You just need to be quicker - they (along with PS5 and the new GPUs) are selling faster than hotcakes.

Your best bet is to subscribe to this Twitter bot (tracks Xbox/PS5/GPUs in UK/EU) and ring the bell for instant notifications on your phone. You can choose words to mute on Twitter if you don't want Nvidia GPU notifications for example. But you need to buy as soon as you get the notification - leave it 5 minutes and the stock will be gone already. https://twitter.com/CtrlAltStock

 

[Absolute]

There was XSX stock on Amazon UK last week (and I grabbed one for a mate) and Amazon Germany yesterday - I posted links to both on here when the stock was available. You just need to be quicker - they (along with PS5 and the new GPUs) are selling faster than hotcakes.

Your best bet is to subscribe to this Twitter bot (tracks Xbox/PS5/GPUs in UK/EU) and ring the bell for instant notifications on your phone. You can choose words to mute on Twitter if you don't want Nvidia GPU notifications for example. But you need to buy as soon as you get the notification - leave it 5 minutes and the stock will be gone already. https://twitter.com/CtrlAltStock

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Thanks for the advice. Was it really in stock on Amazon UK? I am signed up to be notified but I never heard anything. I check most days.

what country? here they have stacks of them in stores but never saw an X.

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Ireland/UK.

 

[Deleted member 41178]

I get this but shouldn't stock be randomly appearing? They manufacture X amount a month. My problem is I just don't see where it is.



Not that I doubt you or that I want to buy a Series S but this is not the case for me.

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I think you're just missing the stock notifications to be honest, I've seen Amazon, Currys, Argos, Smyths, GAME etc get random stock drops a few times over the last few weeks.

Also follow the below for stock notifications on twitter:

@GfinityDeals
@DealsFoundry

I'm sure there are others but those helped me secure a few consoles a couple of weeks ago.

 

[pswii60]

Thanks for the advice. Was it really in stock on Amazon UK? I am signed up to be notified but I never heard anything. I check most days.

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Yes, 100%. For about 10 minutes. As I said, I got one myself.

Do you mean signed up to be notified on Amazon? If so, sadly you're wasting your time. They're gone so quickly Amazon doesn't send out notification emails.

 

[Deleted member 41178]

Thanks for the advice. Was it really in stock on Amazon UK? I am signed up to be notified but I never heard anything. I check most days.



Ireland/UK.

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Yeah those stock notifications from Amazon aren't being sent as the stock is selling so quickly.

 

[Fliesen]

Yeah those stock notifications from Amazon aren't being sent as the stock is selling so quickly.

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This.

It would just create customer frustration if they were to email 2.000.000 people that the PS5 is back in stock, only for 99.5% of them to check the site 20 minutes later with it being sold out again.

The "email me when it's back in stock" feature isn't applicable for things that run out of stock quickly due to insane demand (like consoles, or collector's editions)

 

[Phendrana]

The Series S is in stock basically everywhere in Australia, but I keep missing the X when it goes up.

Maybe they misjudged which version early adopters would want, and overproduced the S?

 

[Absolute]

Yes, 100%. For about 10 minutes. As I said, I got one myself.

Do you mean signed up to be notified on Amazon? If so, sadly you're wasting your time. They're gone so quickly Amazon doesn't send out notification emails.

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Yeah those stock notifications from Amazon aren't being sent as the stock is selling so quickly.

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Ah shit, thanks guys. Feel like an idiot. I clearly need to step up my game. Thanks for all the advice regarding twitter follows and other stores in Europe. Time to get to work.

 

[Deleted member 50374]

Mediaworld (Italian Mediamarkt) had one restock in weeeeks. The cart was broken all day but showing the consoles in stock. Apparently people was assaulting it for PS5s, and in the late evening you could order an X (and so I did)

The S has been available a lot more

 

[DuvalDevil]

Yeah, Xbox is constantly sold out in Germany, too. Huge surprise, because people don't really care about Xbox. Tried to get a second Series X (as a present) and preordered in launch week. Still have no console and Saturn told me, it's impossible to get one for 2020.