Players have reason to be a bit on edge when it comes to next-generation consoles. Pre-orders for Sony's PlayStation 5 were a notable disaster given confusion over the time of release and short stocks. Now, after its acquisition of Bethesda blew up Game Pass, Microsoft seems to have bungled pre-orders for its own consoles.
Microsoft announced the official start date for pre-orders of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on September 9, and last week it confirmed exactly when the consoles would go on sale in direct response to ambiguity around the PS5. In the U.S., console pre-orders for both Xbox Series X and Series S went live at 8:00 a.m. PT. The result was less confusing than for the PS5, but no less chaotic.
When Microsoft detailed how to pre-order an Xbox Series X, it also gave directions for websites carrying out those transactions. These include the likes of Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and others. The Series X would also be available to purchase from its own website on a pay-per-month plan or for wholesale purchase. As a result of everyone knowing when to jump on, everyone did exactly that. In the hour-and-a-half after pre-orders went live, many have already been snapped up. Suddenly, there appear to be very few Xbox Series X and Series S consoles to go around.
Many of the storefronts where players can order an Xbox Series X no longer have them for sale. While the Xbox Series X site seems to still have its monthly plan available, the only wholesale option is "select a retailer." Retailers like Target and Best Buy have already sold out of preorders as of this writing. Amazon, which has an entire page dedicated to the Xbox Series X, is also currently sold out.
None of this is surprising, although the speed at which it happened is for some. It was already suspected that Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders would be limited. However, the volume of players grabbing them up may not have been anticipated by Microsoft. Gamestop, despite being sold out, has a queue to enter its website as of this writing.
This also happened when an Australian retailer sold out of Xbox Series X and S preorders almost immediately. What's more, it's fair to assume many of these pre-orders are going to scalpers. One particular Q&A in the Best Buy FAQ section makes this clear, as the site said it cannot do anything to prevent stocks going to resellers because, "Bots will eat up every website the Xbox released on."
Sources: Ars Technica, Best Buy