Xbox Series X GameStop: what you need to know
Xbox Series X GameStop: what you need to know
You can buy the Xbox Series X from most GameStop stores every month, but there are stores that sell the Microsoft console without a bundle
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GameStop has the Xbox Series X in stock today at many local stores in the United States. However, there are four major drawbacks to buying the Microsoft console from this particular retailer, even if GameStop is a trusted household name for its monthly PS5 restock in stores.
I’ll go over all four reasons in depth because GameStop is holding on to its ability to overcharge customers for the nearly two-year-old video game system. The Xbox Series X price is $499, and you shouldn’t have to pay a penny over that amount.
1. Xbox Series X isn’t exclusive to GameStop
It’s true. The Xbox Series X is now being sold at more than just GameStop, which had a bit of a monopoly over selling the Microsoft console for several months. Everything changed in May 2022, when the Series X just sat there at other American retailers.
Right now, I see the Series X in stock at Microsoft
In stock as of today, July 19, 2022
GameStop finally has serious competition for Xbox console sales in the United States and getting it straight from Microsoft has allowed more people than ever to buy the Series X at a fair price. And that fair price brings us to my next point.
2. The Xbox Series X GameStop price is high
While the Xbox Series X at GameStop still costs $499, customers are forced to buy a bundle at most locations I checked in July 2022. That forced Xbox bundle system is going to end soon, my sources tell me, but it hasn’t come to fruition at every store.
The fact that it’s readily available at the Microsoft Store without a bundle means that GameStop is holding on to its Xbox inventory until someone is willing to splash some cash. I have welcomed Xbox bundles in the past when resellers were capitalizing on the lack of Xbox Series X supply, but demand is down significantly, and it’s time to retire the bundle until at Black Friday and Cyber Monday (when demand will be up).
New: PS5 vs Xbox Series X comparison
3. GameStop won’t sell Xbox Series X online
The Microsoft Xbox Series X console isn’t sold online through GameStop’s online storefront anymore with the occasional exception of Xbox All-Access plans that few people wanted even last year when demand was through the roof.
Instead, you’ll need to travel to the store to buy the Xbox in almost all cases. Online restocks of any console remain rare. That’s why the official Microsoft Store opening the floodgates to buying the Xbox Series X was a gamechanger in 2022.
4. Your GameStop store might not have it
Not every GameStop store has the Xbox Series X in stock right now. Demand is down, yes, but you can’t simply rely on your local GameStop to have inventory in all cases. There’s no way to check if a particular store has inventory ahead of time through the online website. Instead, you need to call and hope for the best (and then purchase a bundle in most cases). Not even the very-in-demand Target PS5 restock has you jump through these hoops. In other words, it seems like an all-around raw deal.
Microsoft has its Xbox Series X console in stock through its official store, and I usually point my one million Twitter restock followers in that direction.
That said, we could see the Xbox Series X finally be restocked elsewhere in the coming days if you’re willing to wait. Amazon Prime Day deals land on July 12 and July 13 and that means we’ll likely see an Amazon PS5 restock like we did last year. The Xbox also had a small restock during the second day of Prime Day, so it’s worth looking out for the console then, too.
Whatever you do, don’t overpay for a Xbox Series X console that’s now readily available at more stores in the US besides GameStop.