Last week heralded in a set of Xbox X25 pre-orders that promptly sold out in a matter of minutes. The special edition translucent green console and controller, despite their hefty markups, were gone in the blink of an eye when pre-orders dropped on Thursday. While hopes of a stock refresh on the main event might be a little optimistic, though, I'm not quite finished with that controller yet.
The Xbox Series X25 console is an $899.99 (or $999 if you bought via GameStop) showpiece that costs more than a PS5 Pro but puts all its investment in its numbered green aesthetic and easter eggs. There are only 25,000 of these being made - it's a true limited edition. That gamepad on the other hand? That's only a special edition.
While it's still currently out of stock in the US (Amazon), I'm fairly confident we haven't seen the last of this luminous Xbox Series X controller. This isn't my first time at the rodeo after all. Just a couple of years ago PlayStation celebrated its own 30th Anniversary, and with it came a limited console and a special controller release. Yes, that light gray controller is difficult to find now, but it managed to pop back onto the shelves several times after it initially sold out at a pre-order level.
In fact I only managed to snag my own celebratory gamepad in a restock that emerged a full year after the original launch.
It's only been a few days since the first wave of stock dropped, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more gamepads on the shelves later in the year. The November holiday shopping period is an obvious target for Microsoft, and when I'd most expect to see the X25 Wireless Controller back in stock. However, keep an eye out for smaller drops around that November 13 release date as well.
Pre-orders can move quickly, and we often see a number of high-demand items returning when full sales go live. That can be down to buyer's remorse when crunch time arrives, or simply payments declining months after being placed. It's reasonable to expect a handful of Xbox Series X25 consoles to return to the shelves at launch, but they're still going to move incredibly quickly. Controller stock hunters should have an easier time of it though.
Microsoft hasn't had an easy time of it in the hardware world recently. With rising console prices, it's been haemorrhaging market share to PlayStation in the last few years, as evidenced by the recent Triple-A platform splits. I can't see a future where the brand unnecessarily holds back its cheaper (but still in-demand) anniversary release.
- See all Xbox controllers at Amazon
If you're not fussed about special edition gadgets, check out the best Xbox Series X accessories as well as the best Xbox Series X headsets on the market.
