Xbox series X stock - live: Game restock is available in store – how to get a console

UPDATE: Game has Xbox series X stock at some of its UK stores, as a Fifa 22 bundle sells out as Currys

Almost a full year since launching, the Xbox series X remains sold out across all UK retailers. As is the case with so many other high-end electronics, global chip production shortages have effectively halted production of Microsoft’s next-generation console, leaving shoppers in the UK wondering where to buy the new Xbox.

When it does appear in stock, online shoppers are quick to react and the Xbox series X sells out within minutes, sometimes seconds. Knowing when and where the Xbox will restock next is key to grabbing one in time.

That’s why we’ve launched our Xbox stock alerts liveblog. If you’re wondering where to buy an Xbox series X in the UK today, we’re here to help. Below, we’ll update you with the latest live restock updates as soon as they happen, as well as any news on predicted restock dates, new games and accessories and milestone events.

Read more:

• How to pre-order the Xbox series X mini fridge in the UK

• Where to buy a PS5 in the UK

• Best games consoles 2021: How to choose

• Is the Xbox Game Pass worth the money?

• Where to buy Xbox series X: Tracking major UK retailers

Check stock from UK Xbox series X retailers below:

• Microsoft Store

• Box

• Amazon

• Game

• Smyths Toys

• Currys

• John Lewis & Partners

• Argos

• Asda

• AO

• ShopTo

• Very

• BT

• EE

• Ebuyer

• Simply Games

Key Points

• Xbox series X ‘Fifa 22’ bundle still available at Currys

• Xbox stock lands in Game stores for collection

• Xbox series X Halo Infinite edition sells out in minutes

• We’ve found limited Xbox series X stock in a branch of Game

When did AO last have an Xbox restock?

11:36 , Alistair Charlton

Electronics retailer AO has already had a couple of Xbox series X restocks this month, on 12 and 19 October. As such, we’re not expecting to see more consoles from AO this week, but are hopeful of at least two restocks in November. AO’s website says the series X will be “back in stock soon”.

Prior to this month, AO had Xbox restocks on 3 August, then 1 and 17 September.

How to buy an Xbox series X online

11:08 , Alistair Charlton

As we patiently wait for the next Xbox restock, let’s go over some of the basics when it comes to securing a console. Preparation is key to success, and there are a bunch of things you can do right now to ensure you’re ready when the next restock happens.

• Register an account and save your payment details at each of the retailers that stock the Xbox series X. They’re listed in the main article above

• Are you a BT customer, or know somebody who is? Register your interest on the BT site to get exclusive access to BT’s next drop

• Download each retailer’s app (if they have one) and add the Xbox series X to your wish list or “save for later” list

• When the console drops, use the link in your wish list to add the Xbox to your trolley – this usually has a higher success rate than navigating through the website

• Keep note of the prices of bundles to ensure you’re getting a good deal. The console itself is £450, controllers are £50, the official headset is £90, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate usually costs £11 per month. Newly released game are around £60, but retailers usually bundle older games with the console

• The pay-as-you-go Xbox All Access programme is good value for money, so long as you don’t already have a Game Pass subscription

Xbox series X stock lands at Game Cambridge

11:07 , Alistair Charlton

As we suspected following yesterday’s in-store restocks, more Game shops have Xbox series X consoles available today. The latest is the Cambridge branch, which has a limited amount of series X consoles available to walk-in customers right now.

Microsoft has shipped more Xboxes than expected

10:41 , Alistair Charlton

Good news, Xbox hunters! Microsoft has said how, despite the pandemic and ongoing global chip shortage, it was able to ship more Xbox consoles than it expected in the last three months.

“We were able to ship more Xbox Series X and S consoles than expected even as demand continues to exceed supply,” said Amy Hood, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, in a call with investors after the company released its latest financial results on 26 October.

Huge demand for the next-generation consoles – as well as computers for workers to log into their jobs from home during the pandemic – helped Microsoft’s hardware revenue grow by 166 per cent for the most recent quarter. Gaming revenue was up 16 per cent.

Xbox stock lands in Game stores for collection

09:46 , Alistair Charlton

As predicted, Game now has more Xbox series X consoles in stock for collection today. We saw several shops receive Xbox stock earlier in the week, and now Game’s Isle of Wight store has tweeted to say it has series X consoles on its shelves.

Like yesterday, we expect to see several more Game stores receive Xbox stock throughout today, and for them to sell out quickly.

Is Argos due an Xbox restock?

09:17 , Alistair Charlton

The last Xbox restock at Argos was only a few days ago, on 20 October. However, the retailer tends to have multiple restocks each month, with three happening in September. There’s every possibility that Argos will have more Xbox consoles to sell before the end of October, but it’s tricky to say for certain at this stage.

When will Very have an Xbox restock?

09:01 , Alistair Charlton

Very currently has the cheaper Xbox series S available to buy now, with series X stock “coming soon”. There’s no specific date mentioned for Very’s next Xbox restock, but we’re hopeful of consoles arriving before the end of the month. Very last had a series X restock on 19 October, and before that restocks happened once a month, on 20 July, 24 August and 14 September.

When will Smyths Toys have an Xbox restock?

08:45 , Alistair Charlton

Smyths Toys is on our radar for a potential Xbox restock this week. This is because the retailer’s website says a fresh round of Xbox consoles is expected to arrive in October and, well, the month’s about to end. It’s 1 November on Monday, so we’re really hoping to see Xboxes land at Smyths before then.

Smyths last had an Xbox series X restock on 15 October, and before that we saw restocks on 9 and 24 September, so a second restock this month wouldn’t be unusual.

How to check for in-store Xbox stock at Game

08:30 , Alistair Charlton

As well as visiting your local Game or giving them a call, you can check for Xbox series X stock on Twitter too. Each Game shop has a Twitter account, which they use fairly regularly to announce in-store restocks of Xbox and PS5 consoles. Helpfully, they also say when stock has run out to save you a wasted journey.

You can view the tweets of all Game branches on this Twitter list; keep an eye on it and you should see when an Xbox restock happens at your local store. Some let customers call up to reserve a console, while others insist that you can only reserve and purchase one in person.

Xbox in-store restocks at Game

08:23 , Alistair Charlton

Yesterday we saw a lot of Game stores announce small Xbox series X restocks. They were sold on a first come, first served basis and stock disappeared quickly, but it’s great to see the consoles are finally available on the high street. It’s worth popping into your local Game store or giving them a call to see if they expect to receive Xbox stock today, or later in the week.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for in-store Xbox stock and post on this blog about any available consoles. Good luck!

Good morning!

08:11 , Alistair Charlton

Good morning Xbox hunters, and welcome back to the live restock blog! We already have some exciting news to share today – the bundle that dropped at Currys yesterday afternoon is still available. Yeah, we know. We’re just as shocked as you are. It’s a little pricey, we admit, as it includes Fifa 22, a three-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription and the Elite series 2 wireless controller. But as a £679 package it’s still a good deal.

What else can you expect today? We’re still hopeful for October restocks from Very and Smyths. And we also hope to see more in-store stock at branches of Game today too.

Live blog signing off

Tuesday 26 October 2021 17:00 , Alistair Charlton

What a busy day that was! At least by Xbox series X restock standards, anyway. We saw a restock at EE this morning, followed by numerous Game shops receiving consoles and quickly selling out – proof that buying a series X on the high street is just as tricky as it is online.

Then the highlight of the day came mid-afternoon, when Game opened pre-orders on over 20 bundles featuring the Halo Infinite edition of the Xbox series X. We haven’t seen these pre-orders since August, so it was a big deal. And, naturally, everything sold out in under 20 minutes. After this, Currys restocked a bundle with the Xbox series X, Fifa 22 and three months of Game Pass Ultimate for £679.

Still, so much activity brings renewed hope that the Xbox series X might – might – just becoming easier to get hold of as we head towards Christmas.

As for tomorrow and the rest of the week, we’re still hopeful for online restocks from Very, Currys and Smyths.

Xbox series X ‘Fifa 22’ bundle lands at Currys

Tuesday 26 October 2021 16:50 , Alistair Charlton

Currys is rounding out a busy day of Xbox series X restocks with a Fifa 22 bundle. Priced at £679, the bundle includes the console, Fifa 22, the Elite series 2 wireless controller, and a three-month subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.

What’s the difference between Xbox series X and series S?

Tuesday 26 October 2021 16:02 , Alistair Charlton

As we wait (and wait) for the next Xbox restock, it’s time to remind ourselves on the key differences between the series X and series S. Other than how the latter is available to buy, of course.

There are two next-gen Xboxes, the less powerful Xbox series S and the top-of-the-range Xbox series X.

All Xbox games old and new will run on both consoles, though on the less powerful Xbox series S the overall graphics quality will be dialled down. The Xbox series S does not have a disc drive, has half the storage capacity and can only play downloaded games. The Xbox series S is much easier to find in stock than the series X. It’s also cheaper and costs just £249 (Amazon.co.uk).

Here are the details, if you’re into comparing teraflops.

Xbox series S specs:

• CPU: Custom Zen 2 8-core CPU

• GPU: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUS

• Memory: 10GB GDDR6

• Storage: 512GB SSD

• Resolution: 1440p at 60fps

Xbox series X specs:

• CPU: AMD 8-core Zen 2 @ 3.8 GHz

• GPU: 12TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz

• Memory: 16GB GDDR6

• Storage: 1TB custom WD SSD, optional 1T

• Resolution: 4K at 60fps

Xbox series X Halo Infinite edition sells out in minutes

Tuesday 26 October 2021 15:58 , Alistair Charlton

Well, that was quick. According to our stopwatch it took less than 20 minutes for Game to run out of Halo Infinite edition pre-orders. The website showed over 20 bundles to pick from, including the Halo-themed Xbox series X on its own, but there’s no telling how many (or how few) of each the retailer actually had available. If you were quick enough to get one ordered then it should be with you on 15 November.

Xbox series X Halo Infinite Edition pre-orders open at Game

Tuesday 26 October 2021 15:44 , Alistair Charlton

Game has just opened pre-orders for the Xbox series X Halo Infinite edition. There are over 20 different bundles to pick from, with the cheapest being the console itself, with Halo Infinite and a three-month subscription to Game Pass for £512.98. The Halo-themed console is also offered on its own, without the game, for £479.99.

This is big news for Xbox fans, as we haven’t seen this version of the console available to order since 25 August.

The special edition console and all bundles offered by Game today will be released on 15 November.

How to buy an Xbox series X online

Tuesday 26 October 2021 15:02 , Alistair Charlton

While we wait for the next restock, let’s go over some of the basic tips when it comes to securing a console. Preparation is key to success, and there are a bunch of things you can do right now to ensure you’re ready when the next restock happens.

• Register an account and save your payment details at each of the retailers that stock the Xbox series X. They’re listed in the main article above

• Are you a BT customer, or know somebody who is? Register your interest on the BT site to get exclusive access to BT’s next drop

• Download each retailer’s app (if they have one) and add the Xbox series X to your wish list or “save for later” list

• When the console drops, use the link in your wish list to add the Xbox to your trolley – this usually has a higher success rate than navigating through the website

• Keep note of the prices of bundles to ensure you’re getting a good deal. Rounding up, the console itself is £450, controllers are £50, the official headset is £90, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs £11 per month. Newly released game are £60, but retailers usually bundle older games with the console

• The pay-as-you-go Xbox All Access programme is good value for money, so long as you don’t already have a Game Pass subscription

Even more Game stores receive Xbox stock

Tuesday 26 October 2021 14:35 , Alistair Charlton

It’s been a busy day for in-store restocks at Game, and now we’ve seen further Xbox series X stock, available right now, at the following branches:

• Lincoln (call 01522 589453 to have one set aside)

• Doncaster (first come, first served)

• Livingston (first come, first served)

• Exeter (first come, first served)

Stock also arrived at the Game stores in Maidstone and Guildford House of Fraser earlier today, but both have now sold out.

The best gaming deals for Black Friday 2021

Tuesday 26 October 2021 14:27 , Alistair Charlton

Black Friday, the shopping event of the year, is almost upon us. For 2021, the retail bonanza lands on 26 November, but as with previous years you can expect to see retailers begin their sales early.

With the Xbox series X still tricky to buy, we’re not expecting much in the way of a discount on the Microsoft console. But that doesn’t mean retailers won’t include the readily-available Xbox series S in a discounted bundle or two. And of course there will be deals on other consoles, games, accessories and more.

To be in the know before and during the Black Friday weekend, you can bookmark our gaming deals guide.

Sign up to the IndyBest newsletter

Tuesday 26 October 2021 14:01 , Alistair Charlton

Want more shopping insights about tech or anything else? Then you should up to the free IndyBest newsletter, where you can access the best deals and round-ups of the week’s must-have products chosen by IndyBest experts.

Dropping into your inbox every Friday morning, the handy digest comes packed with items from our tried and tested reviews by pros in the field – helping you make the most informed choice with your hard-earned cash.

Get the IndyBest newsletter and access to all of The Independent’s other newsletters now. You won’t regret it.

You can play Xbox games on your laptop

Tuesday 26 October 2021 13:29 , Alistair Charlton

You don’t actually need an Xbox series X to play Xbox series X games. Instead, you just need a fast enough internet connection and a compatible streaming device.

Xbox Cloud Gaming streams games from Microsoft’s servers to your console, laptop or phone, via your internet browser or the Xbox app. This all works a bit like being on a Zoom call with a game that you’re controlling, meaning you can jump into new games at the push of a button rather than waiting around for an installation. Your inputs to the controller are sent to the Microsoft server running the game, and the sound and picture of the game are streamed back to you in real-time.

Cloud gaming requires a membership to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (£32.99, Argos.co.uk), which unlocks on-demand access to more than 100 games. Thankfully, decent laptops are much easier to find than the Xbox series X. If you’re thinking of upgrading, check out our list of the best laptops in 2021.

How to buy a PS5

Tuesday 26 October 2021 13:03 , Alistair Charlton

While we wait for more Xbox stock to drop, you should know we also have a liveblog to track restocks of Sony’s latest console.

Generally speaking, the Xbox series X has been harder to get than the PS5, with fewer restocks in the UK over the last couple of months.

The less powerful Xbox series S, on the other hand, is widely available from a number of retailers, including Amazon, Currys, and Argos.

The best TVs for gaming on Xbox series X

Tuesday 26 October 2021 12:30 , Alistair Charlton

To get the most out of the Xbox series X, you’re going to want a 4K television.

Many next-generation games allow you to choose between a performance mode and a graphics mode. The former downgrades the visuals slightly for smoother frame rates, while the latter mode enables higher resolutions and improved graphics, but at the expense of frame rate.

If your TV resolution only goes up to 1080p (also known as Full HD), you won’t be getting the most out of your new Xbox series X. To help you upgrade your set without breaking the bank, we’ve pulled together a list of the best 4K TV deals for entertainment, movies and gaming.

A third Game branch announces in-store Xbox stock today

Tuesday 26 October 2021 12:01 , Alistair Charlton

A third branch of Game has announced it has Xbox series X stock available for in-store purchasing right now. This time it’s the Game inside Guildford’s House of Fraser, which tweeted the good news at 11:35am. The consoles are available on a first come, first served basis.

Nintendo Switch OLED review

Tuesday 26 October 2021 11:28 , Alistair Charlton

While we wait for more Xbox series X stock to drop, it’s worth mentioning that Nintendo’s new Switch OLED console is now available.

The Switch OLED introduces a slightly larger, brand-new screen with OLED technology for improved colours, increased contrast and deeper blacks.

There’s also a redesigned kickstand and the new console has double the internal storage of its predecessor.

But is the new Switch worth the upgrade? We have reviewed the console so you can make an informed decision.

A second Game store announces Xbox series X stock available now

Tuesday 26 October 2021 11:19 , Alistair Charlton

Just minutes after we spotted in-store Xbox series X stock at Game Maidstone, the Stevenage store has tweeted to say it too has stock available right now. The restock is described as “very small” so you’ll have to be quick if you plan to buy one. They are available now on a first come, first served basis, and are not available for reservation.

We’ve found limited Xbox series X stock in a branch of Game

Tuesday 26 October 2021 11:13 , Alistair Charlton

The Game store in Maidenhead tweeted just a few minutes ago, at approximately 10:50am, to say it has limited Xbox series X stock available in-store, right now. So if you are in the local area we suggest you give them a call or pop in and see if those consoles are still available.

Can you buy an Xbox series X on the high street?

Tuesday 26 October 2021 11:11 , Alistair Charlton

Yes, but stock is still extremely limited. Both Smyths Toys and Game occasionally have stock available in their stores for walk-in customers to purchase. But we’re talking single-digit quantities here.

We recommend calling up your local stores to see if stock is available, or if any is expected over the next few days. You can also check the Smyths website, which shows when individual consoles are available at all of its shops across the UK. At the time of writing, the website says there is no Xbox series X stock available in-store.

Meanwhile, Game stores tend to run fairly active Twitter accounts. These announce when Xbox (and PS5) stock is available in each store. You can follow this list of all of Game’s UK store Twitter accounts.