You may have noticed that there has been more Xbox Series X stock available at online retailers in recent weeks, despite the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors. But why is this the case?
With reissues far more frequent than we're used to since Microsoft's flagship console launched on November 10, 2020, and with competitors like the PS5 still proving incredibly hard to find, many have speculated as to why Xbox Series consoles X are suddenly easier to find.
According to XboxEra's Nick "Shpeshal" Baker (Opens in a new tab), the answer is pretty simple: It's basically a matter of money.
Speaking on the XboxEra Podcast (opens in a new tab), Shpeshal_Nick said that Microsoft made a significant investment in April of last year to prioritize chip production where Xbox Series X consoles were produced.
"Almost a year ago, on April 5th, I got a DM saying, 'Microsoft will have a lot of consoles available this fall.' They're going to have a lot. And they finally did, right? Why then? Microsoft paid for the chip priority.
"Microsoft actually paid for factory-priority chips, from what we've seen and still see a lot more Xbox stock now," Baker said.
Baker said the surge in Xbox Series X stock shouldn't come as much of a surprise to people, given that Microsoft managed to populate its cloud servers with Xbox Series X blades, produced a custom Halo Infinite limited-edition console, and we are still looking at stock now. This was only possible thanks to an investment from Microsoft in April of last year, according to Baker.
“How do you think they did that in the chip shortage? They paid for chip priority,” Baker explained. “Money was the reason. Microsoft paid, indeed, to increase its production and have more stock. For me, a smart investment. Now is the time to do it; people want shares. If you want more Game Pass subscribers, you won't get them if people can't get the console.
Microsoft reruns pay off
It's not rocket science, but if consumers can't buy a product, sales will naturally suffer. The shortage may also lead to a rise in resellers, which have plagued the launch of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, as they try to take advantage of the lack of supply and high demand.
Since Microsoft made more Xbox Series X stock available, sales have increased dramatically, so much so that Xbox Series X outsold PS5 Europe in February (opens in a new tab), which would not have been possible if Sony had more Stock of PS5 on the shelves.
Meanwhile, PS5 sales have plummeted in recent months because people just can't buy the console, despite being desperate to do so. Again, it's all very well offering a device that everyone wants, but if you can't afford it, Sony and consumers end up suffering.
It's a relief that we can finally see an end to the Xbox Series X shortage, but it will still be some time before the console is plentiful. After all, the Xbox Series X|S consoles are the best-selling systems Microsoft has ever produced, and demand is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
One of the reasons Microsoft has managed to move so many Xbox consoles is largely due to the Xbox Series S. The more affordable console has been around for several months now, thanks to a simpler and more cost-effective manufacturing process. Produces. The lower price has also deterred resellers, and the fact that it's easy to buy means there's no room to charge consumers an inflated price.