Axios

Microsoft launches test to improve buyers’ access to consoles

Microsoft is testing a better way to sell its Xbox Series X and S consoles to make the process of buying a next-gen gaming machine less ridiculous. Why it’s important: Six months after their release, the new Xbox and rival PlayStation 5 remain extremely hard to find, and buyers have had few options but to frantically refresh online retail websites. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Microsoft and Sony occasionally sell the new consoles on their websites, but buying from them or major online retailers has involved waiting in long digital queues and trying to outperform the bots. or scalpers. The new Xbox plan will maintain the transaction loop in the Xbox platform, a process that can offer more predictability and could also avoid scalpers. The idea is simple: People let Microsoft know through a app on the old Xbox One that they want a next-gen machine, and they’ll be notified. console that an X or S series has been reserved for them. Microsoft offers the plan to members of the Xbox Insiders group and warns that “not everyone who signs up will be selected” because it comes from an allocation of units that otherwise it would be It’s not quite the dream to let people put down a down payment on a machine and get one when it’s ready, but it’s closer. What they say: “[T]The feedback we receive from Insiders will tell us if we will deploy the pilot more widely, ”a Microsoft representative told Axios. Image: NintendoWario64, an enigmatic Twitter user with nearly a million subscribers regularly posts console replenishment lists from GameStop, Amazon and others. He says the supply and demand situation appears to be getting worse. “At the start of this year, I would say there was still a restocking every week,” Wario64 told Axios. of retailers, he feels. There have been a few weeks with no restocking at all over the past two months, which seems to indicate that production is very tight. He said Amazon restockings are the least frequent and Target tends to occur at inconvenient times for west coast shoppers. GameStop’s deals often involve more expensive bundles. He likes the new program. Xbox. This “seems like a good step in making sure the consoles are going to the right people,” he said. Wario64 said Microsoft’s other efforts to sell directly on its website have led to sales fast, but apparently poorly protected against bots. As for the PS5, he noted that Sony has done a lot of restocking of its PlayStation Direct program, including yesterday, which puts users online in a queue , hoping they beat the scalpers. As Wario64 tends to warn its subscribers: “5 minutes warning to join PS Direct queue … 35 minutes until pain.” Wario64 refused to share details about himself when asked (“no lol”) but said he was tired of all those blinks. and you are missing offers. “I just wish the drought had subsided.” More from Axios: Sign up to learn about the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free