Xbox head Phil Spencer remarked that consumers shopping for theXbox Series Xthis holiday season may have trouble finding the elusive console at retailers. However, he is optimistic regarding the availability of theXbox Series X’s lower-end counterpart, the Xbox Series S.
One of the most significant defining factors of the current generation of consoles is their scarcity. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X have been notoriously difficult to find in stores as worldwide supply issues have continued to disrupt the gaming and tech markets since 2020. While some of these circumstances have gotten easier to navigate over time, Xbox executives have stated that thesupply shortage for the Xbox Series Xis expected to continue into next year.
RELATED:Early Black Friday Deal Drops Price of Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 by $20
The undersupply of current-gen consoles will especially be noticeable during the holiday season. On a recent episode of The Verge showDecoder, Phil Spencer stated that the Xbox Series X will still be hard to find in retailers for those shopping during the holidays, though the Series S may fare better. He maintained that Microsoft’s goal is to have enough consoles ready for consumers looking to buy them either online or in-person, despite the recent history ofXbox hardware shortages.
Spencer went on to affirm that theXbox Series Sis a great option for those shopping for consoles during the holidays. “The fact that we do have an S console that is less expensive than our X console is helpful to families,” Spencer said. “The fact that we do have a subscription means I don’t have to pay $70 for every one of my video games, and I can build my library in a different way.”
Despite the Xbox brand facing numerous instances of hardware shortages in the two years since the release of Series X and S, Xbox has continued to experience success thanks in part to the popularity ofXbox Game Pass. The subscription service has allowed players on both Xbox and PC to play from a wide selection of games, some on the day of their release, while also enjoying other benefits such as access to Xbox Cloud Gaming as well as access to Electronic Arts titles through EA Play. These added features have bolstered the popularity of the Xbox brand, often giving players a reason to want to invest in a new Xbox console.
Xbox has also successfully embraced the PC market by releasing first-party Xbox games such asHalo Infiniteon PC to resounding success and even offeringXbox Game Passon PC as a separate subscription. Everything from popular indie titles such as the recently releasedVampire Survivorsto grand JRPG adventures likePersona 5 Royal, the proliferation of titles on Game Pass has made it a selling point of modern Xbox consoles for non-PC players.
