Gamers everywhere have been trying to get an Xbox Series S since the console was launched back on Nov. 10 of last year, but Microsoft couldn’t supply nearly enough inventory to satisfy demand. As a result, both this console and its big brother, the Xbox Series X, have been virtually impossible to find ever since. A few retailers have had a couple of inventory drops during the lead-up to the holidays, but it wasn’t remotely enough to satisfy demand, especially when ordinary users have had to compete with bots and resellers.
As you probably know, the Xbox Series S isn’t just a powerful update to Microsoft’s console franchise, it’s the smarter of the two new consoles to buy (in my opinion anyway). Priced at just $300, it’s the little brother of the $500 Xbox Series X. It plays all the same games, but it’s capped at 1440p resolution (versus 4K on the Series X), lacks an optical drive and has only half as much storage (500GB versus 1TB) — but that’s expandable with add-on drives, and Microsoft autoloads less ambitious textures to accommodate the difference. Our advice is that if you don’t have a 4K TV this is the better console to buy, because it’s more affordable and doesn’t write a lot of checks your TV can’t cash.
- Xbox Series S review: The console making next-gen gaming more affordable
- Xbox Series X vs. Xbox Series S: It’s all about 4K vs. 1440
- The best Xbox Series S games you’ll need to play
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: The next-gen consoles we’re buying and why
Keep checking this page because we will update this article when we know about an impending inventory drop at one of these retailers. And if you want to keep an eye on the retailers yourself, here are product pages at each of the stores:
Xbox Series S: Check inventory restock
Walmart
Here is Walmart’s Xbox Series S order page. The retailer occasionally notifies customers about inventory drops via Twitter.
Best Buy
Best Buy was the last retailer standing back during preorder day in September, but it’s just one of many stores now offering the Xbox Series S.
Amazon
Amazon’s order page includes both versions of the next-gen console — the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Microsoft
Microsoft will offer the Xbox Series S for $300, or as part of the Xbox All Access plan, which includes the Series S and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and costs $25 per month for 24 months.
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