Microsoft’s new consoles will go up for sale in a slightly more structured format than Sony’s.
The holiday season is fast approaching, and Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will both launch November 10th. Pre-orders go live September 22nd (or, tomorrow as I write this guide), and there are a few places you can secure your shiny new Xbox.
The Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders go up September 22nd at 8am PST across various retailers.
To start, allow me to remind everyone that day-1 pre-orders tend to sell out quick. I don’t expect the Xbox pre-orders to be as messy as Sony’s PlayStation 5, nor do I anticipate the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S to run out of inventory in literal seconds like Nvidia’s RTX 3080. That being said, the Series X and Series S will restock over the coming months leading up to launch, so if you don’t manage to lock in a pre-order September 22nd, continue to check with your preferred retailer. If my friends could grab a PlayStation 5 preorder days after the initial chaos subsided, then you should be able to pre-order an Xbox Series X or Series S well after the 22nd.
With that out of the way let’s get into the nitty-gritty. The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S go up for preorder September 22nd. There are two ways you can secure an Xbox Series X or Series S, so for this guide we’ll stick with the more traditional method: buying it at the full MSRP of $300 for the Xbox Series S, or $500 for the Xbox Series X. There are multiple regions sales will go live in, so let’s break them down below (I’ve hyperlinked all the US retailers, for easy bookmarking).
Notice the “other participating retailers” bit I marked at the end of each? If there’s a certain retailer you prefer over those listed give them a call and see what their plans are. I know the Base Exchange for the Army and the Air Force have said they’ll have a few on offer, but I also know AAFES can barely keep mandatory uniform items in stock, so be sure to follow-up with your retailer. Some stores will allow in-person pre-orders, such as Gamestop (though they’ll determine which stores open early on a store-by-store basis), so also call ahead if you plan to place your pre-order in-person.
Best of luck with your pre-orders! Now that Microsoft straight-up owns Zenimax, and in turn Bethesda and every other developer under the publisher’s umbrella, I expect more people will be eager to grab an Xbox now than ever. Again, if at first you don’t succeed, mash your F5 key into oblivion until you do.
- This article was updated on September 21st, 2020
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