Monday, August 30, 2021

Xbox Series X restock date tracker: Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop and Target – when to buy Xbox

Our Xbox Series X restock tracker in the US has been active in August 2021, and if you follow our expert Xbox restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider – and turn on notifications for alerts you, too, can finally find the Xbox console in stock. This is because TechRadar is tracking the console at all major US retailers, including Walmart, GameStop, Antonline and Microsoft's own online store. When and where will Xbox Series X restock next? GameStop, Best Buy and Amazon as possibilities, all for different reasons, and in many cases, they can be had for $499. Walmart, for all of its shipping delays, has become the most reliable retailer for Xbox Series X in the US.

Here's what to do to find Xbox Series X in stock:

Xbox restock directions

When? Follow Xbox restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider and turn on notifications for instant restock alerts. He offers the fastest way to get Xbox stock news and updates.

Never buy from other Twitter users – ever. They're all scams. Only buy from the US stores Matt alerts you to. No one will sell an Xbox Seres X for just $550.

Need help? Subscribe to Matt Swider's YouTube channel for live coaching and video updates whenever there's an announced Xbox Series X restock.

Directions to get our Xbox alerts: Click on this image of this Walmart Xbox Series X restock alert from Matt Swider and turn on notifications (that little bell icon) for instant alerts.

Walmart Xbox Series X restock alert from Matt Swider showing text on Twitter

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Xbox Series X restock dates at GameStop

  • Next Xbox Series X restock date at GameStop: Maybe this week (it'll have 'next-gen consoles' soon)
  • Last Xbox Series X restock date at GameStop: Tuesday, August 17 at 11am EDT
  • How to buy the Xbox from GameStop: Follow our Xbox restock tracker account

The first GameStop in months happened in August, and we're hoping that's a trend that continues at the largest game retailer in the US. With the launch of Madden NFL 22, GameStop offered a tempting Xbox console bundle – for its Pro members.

Today, August 30, it again teased that 'Pro' members get early access to consoles. It didn't say if Xbox Series X consoles will be available as part of its next restock, but there's certainly going to be a stock of next-gen systems soon.

The GameStop PowerUp Rewards Pro membership costs $15 annually and it, along with bundles, scares off most resellers who can't profit, and that's a good thing for true gamers who want to play games and have an extra controller. You'll spend a little bit more for the Xbox than the console alone at the MSRP of $499, but the price for everything included is at face value.

While GameStop has had the PS5 almost every week or every other week in recent months, it stopped doing consistent online Xbox restocks in June (around the time is had that in-store GameStop Xbox Series X restock on June 15 [the only in-store console restock of any major retailer in the US in all of 2021]). 

We'll see what happens online again on Tuesday or Wednesday, when it has done next-gen console bundles in the past.

Xbox Series X restock at GameStop Twitter alert from Matt Swider

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Xbox Series X restock dates for Best Buy

  • Next Xbox Series X restock date for Best Buy: Unknown, but it's overdue
  • Last Xbox Series X restock date at Best Buy: Wednesday, July 14 at 3:10pm EDT 
  • How to buy the Xbox from Best Buy: Follow our Xbox restock tracker account

We haven't seen the Best Buy restock Xbox Series X since mid-July, according to our restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider, and even though he's issued Twitter alerts about a few Best Buy PS5 restock dates in August. Microsoft's console has suddenly become harder to buy in the second half of 2021.

The good news is that Best Buy often restocks next-gen consoles during the daytime (it has never done weekend or overnight restocks in 2021, so you won't be asleep if it continues to follow that pattern) and we feel we're overdue for the console. It's also holding back on the Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X, but does have a product page up for the snazzy-looking limited-edition console with a grayed-out add-to-cart button that promises it's 'Coming soon'.

Xbox Series X restock alert at Best Buy from Matt Swider

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Xbox Series X restock dates for Walmart

  • Next Xbox Series X restock date for Walmart: Usually Thursdays (but not every Thursday)
  • Last Xbox Series X restock date at Walmart: August 25 at 9pm EDT (rare Wednesday)
  • How to buy the Xbox from Walmart: Follow our Xbox restock tracker account

The Walmart Xbox Series X restock has been on always a Thursday (but we didn't say it's every Thursday) in 2021 – except for last week when the big-box retailer decided to put Xbox consoles for sale a day earlier than usual. It had a restock at both 12pm EDT and 9pm EDT, meaning more people were able to buy the video game systems no matter their schedule.

Walmart also had a special pre-order of the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X at 8:30pm EDT that same night (maybe this is part of the reason for the off-schedule date?). The normal Xbox Series X is back-ordered until October, according to shipping estimates of followers of Matt Swider, but sometimes Walmart deliveries earlier. When Walmart can fulfill those orders dictates when the next Xbox Series X restock will happen. We're still tracking it for the normal Thursday at 3pm EDT time, just in case.

Xbox Series X restock alert at Best Buy from Matt Swider

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Target Xbox Series X restock: daily online locally

  • Target Xbox restock are online locally now almost every morning
  • Only a few zip codes have the Xbox Series X for sale – and only a few consoles at that
  • This is very different from the nationwide Xbox Series X restocks before

Update: The Xbox restock dates at Target happen randomly as the consoles come in to the individual stores. So these are still online orders, but locally restocked with a few zip codes having even fewer consoles on hand.

Every weekday morning – and sometimes on Saturdays – Target has the Xbox Series X in stock at random stores to be bought online (no, you cannot buy the Xbox in stores in the US at this time). The problem is that it's hard to issue Twitter alerts when it's usually select stores in a city and there are as few as five consoles as part of the Xbox restock.

Target has switched from a nationwide restock date to offering the Xbox Series X at a local level (again only to be bought online buy picked up in stores) and it has the Xbox consoles for sale as they come in every morning.

Target Xbox Series X restock Twitter alert

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

Microsoft's secret Xbox Series X availability

  • Next Xbox Series X restock date at Microsoft: Overdue, usually Sundays or Thursdays
  • Last Microsoft Xbox Series X restock date: Thursday, August 26, July 29 at 6pm EDT
  • Microsoft did divert some Xbox console stock to its Xbox Insiders program
  • Beta testers (of new dashboards) get access to buying a console
  • It requires powering up your Xbox One console

Microsoft has locked in Thursdays at its go-to restock date, and we just saw some Xbox consoles go live last Thursday at 6pm EDT, according to Xbox restock tracker Matt Swider. This has become the most consistent time frame for Microsoft to offer the Xbox Series X for sale.

However, in the past months, it has diverted thousands of Xbox consoles from its own online retail store to a new pilot program. The Xbox Insiders Xbox Series X upgrade plan, first discovered by Bradon Hofer, is actually a great incentive for people who want to beta test dashboard tweaks and other system updates that Microsoft is developing for its consoles. And if you're stuck testing things out on an old Xbox One and wanting to upgrade to the new Xbox Series X, really you should be the first in line.

Note: Microsoft hasn't said if it'll continue to offer this program throughout 2021, but if you want to try it, power up your old Xbox One console in order to log into this particular Xbox Insiders menu. You access it online, nor can you find the menu on an Xbox Series X. This prevents Xbox Series X owners from ordering a second console from their brand new system.

Xbox Series X restock Insiders program menu

(Image credit: Brandon Hofer / Gaming Target)

Amazon Xbox Series X restock

Believe it or not, Amazon hasn't had an Xbox Series X restock since Prime Day in late June. That means the online retailer is also overdue to put up the Xbox for sale, and that many of its customers are going to clamor for the opportunity to buy it due to all of the pent-up demand. It's going to be chaotic to say the least.

Something that Amazon has been doing overseas with restocks is limited sales to Prime customers. This would overcome the many troubles that Amazon (and also Walmart) has with resellers scooping up all of the consoles with the use of bots. So far, the Prime-only restock events haven't come to the US.

Xbox Series X restock alert from Matt Swider for Amazon

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

With the launch of the Halo Infinite beta, there's going to be growing demand for the Xbox Series X, and we're live tracking all of the major US retailers and updating our exclusive restock reporting every step of the way.


Xbox All-Access is often the silent restock

  • Walmart and GameStop had Xbox Series X in stock through All Access for weeks and no one noticed
  • The pay-as-you-go program does hook you into a 24-month contract

Stores like Walmart and GameStop often restock the Xbox Series X through the Xbox All Access bundle, which works a lot like a smartphone plan. You pay for the console over time, but you're also signed up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which is actually something you should look into buying alongside an Xbox anyway).

After 24 months, you save a couple of dollars with this Xbox Series X plan, but you're on the hook being required to pay for it for two years.

Xbox Series X restock

(Image credit: Matt Swider / Twitter)

The Xbox Series X restock news continues through the remaining days of August and into September. We're hitting crunch time, however. Demand started to fall for the new Xbox but so did supply. And the trouble we see brewing is that the Xbox is going to become harder to buy from October onward when every parent begins to realize they need this console for Christmas. All of a sudden, millions of new shoppers, who weren't looking for the Xbox Series X for sale before today, are going to join the chaos.




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