GameStop will be selling "very limited" quantities of the Xbox Series X and S during the console's release tomorrow. This qualified statement is well in line with the experience a lot of players have had trying to get their hands on a next-gen console. Preorders sold out instantaneously on all major retailers, and Xbox head Phil Spencer is confident that it will be months before supply catches up to demand and everyone who wants a Series X can get one.
It's not hard to see why demand for the new consoles is so high. Both Microsoft and Sony have spent months hyping up their new machines and the exciting new games that will be playable on them. The Series X and the PlayStation 5 represent the future of video gaming, and with all the technological upgrades being offered, it's no wonder that players are so eager to pick up a console. To that end, fans who weren't able to secure a preorder have been latching on to any hope of buying a new console on or anywhere near release day. Best Buy, for instance, will have limited stock for both consoles after release, but only online.
Another sliver of hope has just been granted by GameStop. The company has announced on Twitter that the Xbox Series X will be available on the website and in stores on launch day. The tweet stresses that the stock of these new machines is not high, which makes it frankly worrying that the retail chain is offering them in-store as well. One can only imagine the chaos that could arise as desperate fans flock to the nearest GameStop to pick up a new console. Best Buy had a much better idea by offering the systems online only, both at release and on the ever-tumultuous Black Friday.
GameStop has been struggling for some time now, and it's also fallen quite far in terms of public favor. The retail chain, like many others, took a significant hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, and attracted controversy for its poor response to the crisis, claiming essential service status to stay open and ordering employees to tape plastic bags to their hands. More recently, the company took a massive PR hit when it was discovered that it was hosting a TikTok dance competition for its employees to compete in in order to win the right to work more hours on Black Friday. This frankly dystopian motivation system was harshly criticized online, and with good reason.
Game Stop might be a rather disgraced brand, but it's still a solid chance for players to get their hands on a coveted new Xbox Series X. Given Phil Spencer's aforementioned belief in stock shortages, there are sure to be millions of gamers who will take any opportunity they can get to buy into the new hardware. GameStop is offering a golden opportunity for players to pick up an Xbox Series X. In spite of everything, they'll probably sell out quite quickly.
Source: GameStop
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