Is your Xbox Series X or Series S sitting untouched? Microsoft may want it back—and it is offering up to $375 through Best Buy to make the idea more tempting.
The campaign arrives as RAM shortages squeeze hardware supplies, push console prices higher, and make every working machine more valuable. For Microsoft, an unused Xbox is not just gathering dust; it is also missing from the Game Pass subscriptions and digital sales that can follow an active console.
Microsoft Wants Idle Xboxes Back in circulation
Earlier this month, Xbox began emailing certain Series X and Series S users about trading in their consoles. The message asks, “Haven’t played on your console in a while?” It then points users toward Best Buy for “up to $375 back.”
That top figure is real, but it comes with conditions. Best Buy’s trade-in page lists $375 as the best offer for a good-condition Series X when the console includes a working controller, power cord, and docking station. The payment arrives as store credit, not cash.
Trading in is easy to understand, especially because Best Buy has a huge number of physical stores within the US. Still, it is far from the best way to get a strong return on an unwanted Xbox. Selling through eBay requires more effort, but it can bring a higher result, especially when extra controllers and docks are included.
Microsoft also has its own trade-in program and sells refurbished consoles from its website. The company would prefer an unwanted Xbox to find another owner instead of remaining unused, because an active console can lead to Game Pass subscriptions and digital sales.
Xbox Hardware Is Getting Harder to Justify
The timing points to a bigger problem. The RAMpocalypse is causing console stock to dwindle and prices to rise, while continued demand from the AI sector—caused in no small part by Microsoft itself—led to another Xbox Series X and S price hike in June. That increase followed a price hike last October, and Microsoft listed measures to soften the blow in the same announcement.
The shortages are expected to last into 2028. Xbox prices rose again on August 1 in the third US increase since the start of last year, with Microsoft pointing to “the current components crisis” and saying memory and storage prices had risen by more than 2.5 times.
When the Xbox Series X first shipped for $499 in November 2020, it looked like a strong value. In 2026, average prices range from $725 to $900 depending on storage configurations. The 1TB disc-based model sells for around $799, while the digital-only Robot White model costs $750. A 60 percent price increase makes aging hardware a much harder sell.
The Series X still packs serious hardware: an eight-core AMD Zen 2 processor running at 3.8GHz, an AMD graphics chip rated at 12 teraflops, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and 16GB of memory shared between the system and graphics. But Sony’s PS5 Pro is more powerful on the GPU front, with 16.7 TFLOPS compared with the Series X’s 12.15 TFLOPS. Both support ray tracing through custom AMD RDNA APUs and use AMD Zen 2 chips with eight cores and 16 threads, while the Pro reaches a slightly higher 3.85 GHz clock speed.
The PS5 Pro also faces its own supply pressure because GTA VI is causing a shortage. Used systems are listed for nearly $1,400, despite a current MSRP of $899. Both consoles will be stuck at 30 fps in the comparison described here, adding another wrinkle to the value question.
Could a PC Replace the Xbox?
A gaming PC offers more flexibility, but the price picture is not simple. A new build around the Arc B580 needs a Ryzen 7 5700X at $209, a $25 cooler, a $70 B550 motherboard, 16GB of DDR4 at $104, a 1TB SSD at $149, a $60 power supply, and a $65 case. With the graphics card, that totals $1,012; Windows 11 Home adds $139, and an Xbox controller adds $65.
Used parts can cut the build to about $730, but buyers face real risks. The market includes graphics cards worn down by crypto mining, “untested” parts, and listings decorated with AI-generated photos. Some sellers and manufacturers have refused returns on dead graphics cards, so the lower price can bring a higher gamble.
Microsoft sells a Certified Refurbished Series X for $649.99, and that model includes a 4K Blu-ray drive missing from the PC builds described here. If you want Series X performance, the console remains the straightforward choice. It cannot moonlight as a PC, though Developer Mode is available for testing apps and cannot run retail games.
That boundary may not last forever. Microsoft has confirmed that its next-generation Project Helix console will play PC games, with alpha hardware scheduled to reach developers from 2027. Valve’s Steam Machine starts at $1,049 for a PC that already behaves like a console, while Microsoft also sells a refurbished Xbox Series S for $400 with far lower performance.
Game Pass Is Shifting Beneath the Console
The console’s value also depends on subscriptions. Game Pass launched in June 2017 at $9.99 per month with more than 100 Xbox One games and a selection of backward-compatible Xbox 360 titles. Game Pass Ultimate arrived in June 2019 at $14.99 per month, reached $19.99 by July 2024, then rose to $29.99 in October 2025 before fan backlash pushed it down to its current $22.99.
Today’s options divide the value in new ways:
- Game Pass Essential: $10 per month, around 50 games, online multiplayer, and up to five hours of streaming.
- Game Pass Premium: $15 per month, over 200 games, online multiplayer, and up to 10 hours of streaming.
- Game Pass Ultimate: $23 per month, over 500 games, day-one releases, online multiplayer, and up to 15 hours of streaming.
- PC Game Pass: $14 per month, over 300 PC games, day-one releases, and a bundled EA Play subscription.
Neither Essential nor Premium includes day-one releases, so Ultimate remains necessary for titles such as the upcoming Fable reboot on launch day. Unlimited cloud streaming also disappeared after Xbox introduced time limits, and additional hours are available for purchase.
Microsoft is planning a more flexible Game Pass model that could let subscribers choose features instead of paying for preset tiers. Possible options include console-only games, cloud gaming, multiplayer, and bundled subscriptions such as Fortnite Crew. That would not automatically make Game Pass cheaper, but it could give Xbox owners more control over what they pay for.
The Xbox Series X can still provide solid value six years after launch, but the calculation has changed. With prices rising, PC alternatives expanding, and Game Pass being reshaped, Microsoft’s trade-in email is more than a casual reminder. It is a push to keep every console moving, connected, and earning its place in the Xbox ecosystem.
Based on
- Microsoft really wants you to sell that Xbox you’re not using — engadget.com
- 4 Drawbacks You Should Know Before Buying An Xbox Series X — engadget.com
- Here’s How Much It Would Cost To Build A PC Similar To The Xbox Series X — engadget.com
- Xbox Game Pass Could Let You Pick Which Features You Pay For — engadget.com
