XBox One In Stock at GameStop…at a High Price

GameStop is the only major retailer with the XBox One in stock. Unfortunately, GameStop won’t sell the XBox One by itself and selling it as a $739.99 bundle.

GameStop’s XBox One Exclusive Bundle consists of an XBox One console, an extra controller and three games. The games are Forza 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Dead Rising 3. That’s a $0 discount compared to buying  the standalone XBox One ($499.99), included games ($59.99 each) and the extra controller ($49.99).

Simply being available for delivery isn’t enough for most people to be railroaded into the three games GameStop includes in the bundle. While each of the games are popular, there are plenty of reasons people would want alternatives or none of the included titles. Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3 are both extremely violent games,with the former depicting gladiator battles and the later a zombie apocalypse. Both are rated M (mature), which means they’re inappropriate for children. Those desperate for an XBox One before Christmas may just bite the bullet and buy this bundle. Unfortunately, GameStop won’t let consumers build their own bundles like Walmart allows when it has XBox consoles in stock.

XBox One units have been extremely difficult to track down since it launched on November 22. While some retailers have had handfuls of units available from time to time, supply is severely constrained. As of this afternoon, tracking site Nowinstock.net shows that every national retailer except for GameStop is out of XBox One consoles. The XBox One is available from various sellers for inflated prices on eBay, Craigslist and other classified services, but most buyers prefer to buy from authorized resellers at list price.

GameStop is clearly trying to make the most out of its limited XBox One stock. From the company’s point of view, a $739.99 sale is obviously better than letting consumers order the console from GameStop and their games and accessories elsewhere.

XBox One supplies are expected to be severely constrained throughout the holiday season. However, Walmart is promising to have both the XBox One and PS4 in stock on Cyber Monday. The XBox One is priced $100 higher than the PS4, which retails for $399.99. The lower price tag is proving to be a major draw to the PS4. Both consoles are in their infancy, with many games proving extremely similar to their XBox 360 and PS3 counterparts.