Update
It’s official Best Buy is holding next-gen console units in-store across the nation. We had seen a report come out earlier this week that suggested select stores will have about fifty consoles of Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 5 Digital Editions. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t seem that the Xbox Series S is among the list of console units available. With that said, Best Buy has been handing out tickets to those who show up early, which would guarantee them their selected console of choice when stores open up. However, you might find that your local store may not have much of a line so there’s the potential a unit is available. Fortunately, Best Buy does have a list of stores available for each state that has units which you can view right here.
Original Story…
The latest generation of consoles has been available since November of 2020. However, getting your hands on a unit has been a struggle. Just like with any big video game console release, players are hyped up for the launch. Usually, it’s tough finding stock right around when the console launches. Then things settle down a bit, and getting units is relatively easy. However, things have been different this time around, thanks to the worldwide pandemic we had to endure in 2020.
When the consoles launched, they came during the height of this pandemic. The coronavirus health pandemic essentially shut the world down. Jobs were transitioning for employees to work at home if possible. Likewise, shipping became a nightmare for specific markets, which caused delays. Then there is a shortage of chips for electronics. This all played a factor in why console units are so challenging to find nearly a year later.
Most of these units are purchased online. So you wouldn’t find these consoles typically in stock at a retailer. However, today a report is going out that Best Buy will soon have units for the first time in-store. This comes from TechRadar, who showed an image of stock coming to the Best Buy locations on September 23, 2021. Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be available at select locations. If this report proves to be accurate, then retailers will have about fifty units available.
We’re sure that those units will likely be sold quickly as well. However, it’s at least a good sign to see units making it to retailers directly. Of course, this also comes during the start of the holiday season. We might see another surge of consumers purchasing units up for the holidays. We’ll also likely see units purchased to flip online for a profit during this period.
