Xbox One Release Date Could Spell Trouble for Buyers

The Xbox One release date is on track for November 22nd, a week before Black Friday and a week after the PS4, and while pre-orders are still available, forecasts predict trouble on the horizon for those who are still trying to decide if they should buy the Xbox One.

Microsoft’s $499 console is the first completely new game console to arrive from Microsoft in nearly a decade and pent up demand for the new console as well as limited production means once the Day One pre-orders sell out it could be a while before the Xbox One is easy to buy online or in a local store.

Read: Play the Xbox One Way Ahead of Release at Select Microsoft Stores

A report from the Economic Daily News by way of DigiTimes from late August claims Microsoft is lowering the expected shipments for the fourth quarter by nearly 1 million units.

At the source are reported production issues with the Kinect camera sensor and the Blu-Ray Drive that gamers will use to install games on the Xbox 360.

None of this information is confirmed by Microsoft, and the Xbox One Day One edition is still available thanks to Microsoft finding some extra units to put up for pre-order at Best Buy and the Microsoft Store.

Where this will become an issue is as we close in to the Xbox One release date. We expect a sell out of the Xbox One, and while there will undoubtedly be some stock delivered for the Black Friday shopping event the week after — those lines and crowds are going to be more than most gamers and parents want to deal with.

After the first two weeks, there is a month left to find an Xbox One in time for the holidays, and if you didn’t pre-order expect to do a lot of calling and running around town or expect to pay a big premium.

When the Xbox 360 and PS3 launched, shortages pushed prices high from third-party sellers who would camp out at retailers and snap up the stock before parents and gamers could get to the stores. With the Xbox One release date approaching we are already seeing sellers on eBay charge $200 to $500 more than the price of the console for a near release date delivery.

These are prices on the secondary market when the Xbox One Day One edition is still available for release date delivery. Once the holiday season hits and the Xbox One becomes harder to find the prices could skyrocket.

If you think you are going to buy an Xbox One for the holidays, it would be a very good idea to pre-order from Best Buy or Microsoft now and cancel later, rather than waste time and lots of money in December.