Xbox boss Phil Spencer has acknowledged there's a dire shortage of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. And he's sorry that it’s so difficult to find any retailers that have Microsoft’s next-gen console in stock.
"We need more consoles," Spencer said in an appearance on Glitchcon, GameSpot reported. "The number one request I get over and over is it's so hard to get the consoles right now. And I really apologize for that. We've been building them for almost two months now and trying to get as many into the stores as we can, but the demand is just so high."
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It’s probably easier to find a needle in a haystack, blindfolded and with your arms tied behind your back than order a Xbox Series X or Series S at the moment. Microsoft's next-gen consoles pretty much sold out mere hours after they were released on November 10.
And try as we might, we’ve not been able to find any retailers that have either console in stock. But we are tracking the latest updates on availability in our where to buy Xbox Series X guide.
It’s no great surprise that stock for the new consoles is low, as both the Xbox Series X and Series S are impressive gaming machines, albeit rather different to each other. And when pre-orders for the consoles went live, they sold out very quickly, giving us a taste of the demand for the next-gen gaming machines.
There’s an argument that Microsoft could have foreseen this ramped up Xbox production. But the rigors of the coronavirus pandemic is likely to have caused problems on that front.
And it’s not like Microsoft is alone in this stock shortage problem, as Sony’s PS5 has been just as hard to find since it launched on November 12 (it's coming to the U.K. on November 19). Again, we have our where to buy PS5 guide to help you have the best chance of securing Sony’s next-gen console when retailers replenish their stock.
The good news is more stock for the new Xbox consoles are coming, as Liz Hamren, CVP of Microsoft’s gaming experiences and platforms division, posted an update to the Xbox Wire noting that the company is working on getting more consoles out to retailers.
"We know that not everyone was able to get an Xbox Series X/S immediately and are working tirelessly with our partners around the world to bring as many new consoles to as many of you as possible over time and encourage you to check in with your local retailers directly for more details on availability in your market," Hamren explained.
There’s no firm date on when that will happen, so you should check back with Tom’s Guide and keep an eye on select retailers. As with any big console launch, we expect the PS5 and Xbox Series X to be easier to find a few months from now. And if you want to skip consoles altogether and go the gaming PC route, check out our how to build a gaming PC guide, ideal for PC gaming beginners.
