Microsoft Asks Xbox Owners to Trade In Unused Consoles

According to the publication, the email campaign is targeting those who have not used their console in a long time or have switched to PC games. The trade-in is offered through the American retailer Best Buy, with up to $375 offered for a Series X and up to $200 for a Series S, with the exact amount depending on the model and condition of the device. The consoles collected will be resold at a reduced price.

Windows Central links the campaign to a shortage of consoles, which is most pronounced in Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East, while the situation in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia is relatively stable. Journalists cite the demand for memory chips from data centers for artificial intelligence as one of the reasons for the deficit. The upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, which will initially be available only for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, is also fueling interest in current-generation consoles.

Microsoft announced the program for accepting used consoles in June, along with another price increase: from August 1, Xbox Series X and S prices rose by $100-150 depending on the configuration. At the time, the company explained that the cost of RAM and storage for the consoles had increased by more than 2.5 times. According to the analytics company Circana, in January-August 2026, Xbox sales in the US decreased by 33% compared to the same period last year, and the average console price increased by 26% to $529.