The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s flagship console that’s remained a challenge to get until recently. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The Xbox Series X has been one of the most challenging-to-find gaming gadgets since its late 2020 release. While always a little easier to get a hold of than Sony’s PlayStation 5, getting one has all but required keeping track of restocks from multiple retailers on a day-to-day basis — lest you turned to purchasing one from price gougers.
But now, we can say (with fingers crossed) that those days may be behind us. The Xbox Series X is readily available at a few retailers — and has been for the past handful of days. What’s more, you don’t need any paid memberships or pricey bundles to be able to get one. This, coupled with the lowering costs and better availability of some desktop GPUs, is great news for gamers who want to upgrade to new hardware.
As for where you can buy an Xbox Series X right now, if you prefer to just get the $499 console on its own, you can order it online at Walmart and Newegg with minimal shipping times until it reaches your home. Thankfully, Walmart is not requiring a subscription to its Walmart Plus paid membership to access consoles, as it frequently did during its scheduled console restock events. You may also be able to purchase the Xbox Series X from Target for in-store pickup, but this depends on availability at your local brick and mortar Target stores.
If you don’t mind buying a bundle, you have even more options to explore for the Xbox Series X. At this time, Costco members can buy the Xbox with a spare controller for $549.99. That pricing is fair, especially if you’re already a member and need a second gamepad for some local multiplayer.
Antonline has a couple of bundle options available, too, like this one that includes a Nyko headset and Halo Infinite for $589.97 and another with the same combination, plus a spare controller for $639.96. Meanwhile, Microsoft allows you to build your own bundle, picking from a selection of full-price digital games and additional controllers. Of course, it may be more appealing to get the console by itself, then pick out all your own games and accessories, where you can find better discounts elsewhere.
The past six months have seen a positive shift in availability for in-demand gaming tech. Nintendo’s Switch with OLED is easy to purchase, and it’s not entirely uncommon to see the Xbox Series S selling for as much as $50 off. While the availability of the Xbox Series X has opened up, the PlayStation 5 remains the outlier. Sony’s console has been a hit, and it remains the console that many people want to get (likely due in part to its scarcity). But for now, that’s the console that’ll require more effort than just clicking add to cart. The next time we write an article like this, it’ll probably be about the PS5. But when that will happen is anyone’s guess.