Xbox: "20 Years of Play" video is a moving journey into memories

Xbox

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Xbox franchise, Microsoft has released a new celebratory video, called "20 Years of Play", which presents itself as a moving journey into the memories of a family linked to its consoles.

The movie begins with the ignition of a first Xbox, with which a couple plays together in Halo: Combat Evolved. In the meantime, she remembers how playing together strengthened their relationship. Then we move on to Xbox 360 and marathons with friends. Then comes the first child, who the father introduces to the magic of Minecraft on a small laptop, initially only as a spectator. So it's the turn of the Xbox One X. The kid has grown up and now he doesn't just watch, he plays directly with a Forza Horizon. Finally, it is the turn of the Xbox Series S (not series X, to note). The couple plays co-op in Halo Infinite, then arrives the son who is instead playing in the cloud at Sea of ​​Thieves on a smartphone connected to a Razer Kishi.

In short, the complete evolution of the videogame industry and its possibilities compressed in a single video.

Have you noticed any errors?

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Xbox Series X restock tracker: GameStop might have consoles in a store near you tomorrow

Your best chance to get in on an Xbox Series X restock this week and guarantee the console will be under the tree this Christmas is at GameStop. According to the restock page at GameStop, a ton of locations will have PS5 consoles in stores and many of those stores will also have the Xbox Series X. To confirm there's a console in stock near you, check the website and call your local store to confirm. Separate from this, each console will be available exclusively to PowerUp Rewards Pro members and you'll need to buy a bundle with accessories and games instead of just the console.

Separate from this in-store pickup event, Walmart and Amazon are expected to have restocks again before the end of next week. We don't have any publicly announced Xbox Series X restocks happening today, but that doesn't mean there isn't one coming. 

Here are some quick tips for catching a surprise Xbox restock:

Timing: Unannounced restocks typically happen after 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) unless they come from Target, which tends to drop them before 6 a.m. PT (9 a.m. ET).

Walmart, GameStop and Best Buy have membership subscriptions that frequently offer early access to restocks, but they're not always required. Even if you don't pay for early access, you should still create an account with these retailers for faster checkout.

Install the app for your preferred retailer, which is often faster to use than the websites, but it's better to use both. 

Want to know how to better your chances of getting a console? Here's what we've got.

Why is the Xbox tough to find?

Essentially, Microsoft hasn't been able to get the materials it needs to make enough Xbox consoles to meet demand. As with the PlayStation 5 and most PC video cards, there's a chip shortage right now that is slowing supply. The pandemic affected production for a lot of chip manufacturers, and industry watchers currently don't expect the issue to be entirely resolved until the end of the year. 

As a result, Microsoft makes as many consoles as it can and distributes them among its retail partners. Each retailer releases its available consoles in whatever way it deems appropriate. Most of the time, this means announcing ahead of time when you'll be able to buy the console online and then releasing it for anyone to buy. 

Check out this full breakdown on the chip shortage by CNET's Stephen Shankland for more details.

Where has the Xbox been recently?

We keep track of every console restock, and maintain this list here of the most likely places you'll find a console as well as when it was last in stock there.

GameStop: Oct. 14

Target: Dec. 2, 16

Amazon: Nov. 21

Walmart: Nov. 22, 29, Dec. 8, 13

Best Buy: Dec. 6, 9

Antonline: Nov. 23, 29

A new era of Xbox is here.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

How can I improve my chances of getting an Xbox Series X?

It can be a little chaotic, constantly refreshing the screen and hoping to see a checkout link. And as many can attest, it's pretty painful to punch in your payment information only to see that the purchase can't be completed because all the consoles are already gone. Here are some of our tips:

Open multiple browsers: Got a laptop? A phone? Maybe a tablet? Use them all to try to make the purchase. Set yourself up ahead of time with multiple browsers open to the retail site of your choice and be ready to buy from all of them. 

Don't give up: Many of these retailers have started releasing the consoles over the course of 30 minutes, to keep bots from buying them all and reselling them at a price increase. If you see everything is sold out after the first 5 minutes, keep refreshing because your chance probably isn't gone yet. 

Have an account set-up and signed-in: The time it takes to enter your payment and shipping information can be the difference between getting your console and getting left in the dust. Avoid that delay by setting up an account on the websites you'll be shopping on.

Make sure you have a confirmation email: There have been many reports of a purchase getting 'stuck' and even though the website said the sale was complete, no confirmation email arrived and then no Xbox arrived. Keep an eye out and make sure you actually have an Xbox Series X headed your way before celebrating. 

Is it safe to buy an Xbox from an unofficial source?

There are some places you can safely buy an Xbox secondhand. If you're shopping at eBay or StockX, there are protections in place to keep you from spending money and getting nothing. 

Separate from this, there are plenty of folks out there eager to take advantage of everyone trying to get an Xbox Series X. Here's how to avoid the known scams:

Stay away from Twitter links: If you see something on Twitter about an Xbox Series X restock happening somewhere, your best bet is to go straight to the retailer instead of clicking a link. In many cases, those Twitter links have turned out to be scams.

Only buy at the retail price: If someone is offering you an Xbox Series X for more or less than $500 or an Xbox Series S for more or less than $300, you should probably stay away. There are many of these sites offering 'deals' or 'bundles' that are frequently not actually worth it.

The Halo Infinite edition

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Xbox's original flagship series Halo, this year Microsoft released a special edition of the Series X console inspired by the series' most recent title, Halo Infinite. The console was a limited edition and sold out quickly. While all retailers currently list the console as out of stock, there is a possibility that there are still a few of them floating around out there. If you're truly committed to getting your hands on a Series X (and don't mind dropping an extra $50), it may be worth poking around for one. Read more on the special edition Halo Infinite console here.

More on Xbox Series XXbox Series X: Check inventory restock

Walmart does a solid job of noting availability windows for PS5 and Xbox on its Twitter feed. You might also want to visit the retailer's Xbox landing page for both new consoles. Bear in mind you may see higher prices from third-party resellers.

Best Buy was the last retailer standing back in the preorder days, but now stands ready for your Xbox Series X purchase as inventory allows. 

This is Target's product page for the Xbox Series X. 

If you want to get the latest on the Xbox Series X, there's probably nowhere better than Microsoft's own Xbox Series X homepage. Here you'll find the latest specs, announced game titles, details on the new controller and more. 

Amazon is selling both the Xbox Series X and the less expensive Series S from this product page. 

GameStop has in the past touted a 'very limited number of Xbox Series X and S console bundles for purchase' but is currently sold out.

This is where you can buy the Xbox Series X at Newegg when the retailer has inventory. 

To be clear, we highly recommend waiting for inventory to appear at ordinary retailers, so you can buy an Xbox Series X at the regular retail price. But if you've decided you simply can't wait another moment, the average Xbox Series X price on eBay is about $800.

Are you desperate by now? Are you willing to pay a premium of hundreds of dollars over the list price? Listen, we wouldn't do this and we don't recommend you do it, either. But if you want to take that path, StockX is a reputable eBay-style site that will let you buy and sell new Xbox and PS5 models -- as long as you're willing to pay upward of $700.

This story is updated frequently with the latest Xbox Series X inventory news.

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