Microsoft's 25th Anniversary Xbox Series X console sold out within seconds during a restock this week. The limited-edition console features a transparent green case and an $900 MSRP.
Resellers immediately listed units on eBay at an average of $2,500 per console. GameStop's dynamic pricing system listed the console at $4,950 before tax during the sale.
Disappointed buyers blamed scalpers and bots for the immediate sellout. Fans online called for Microsoft to adopt a lottery or queue-based system instead of first-come first-serve sales.
Nintendo and Sony have used alternative methods. Nintendo ran an official lottery via the My Nintendo Store for Switch 2 sales in Japan, which drew over 2 million entrants. Nintendo also offered a direct invitation queue in western markets for verified account holders. Sony implemented an anti-scalping lottery system via the official Sony Store in Japan for PS5 Pro sales, requiring entrants to have a Japanese PlayStation Network account and at least 60 hours of playtime on PS4 or PS5 within the prior two years.