Microsoft’s plan is to cover some of the crazy demand for the Series X by selling certified refurbishments on the Microsoft Store. A brand new Xbox Series X costs $499 at list price, although with demand from official channels low, resellers are offloading devices for as much as $1,000. According the Store listing, a refurbished model costs $469.99. Yes, that is not much a saving from the list price, but it means you may be able to get your hands on a Series X now without waiting or paying over the odds. However, Microsoft has baked a tricky caveat into this deal. Specifically, the company says customers must buy a digital game with the console. There is currently a list of around 12 games that you can buy with the refurbished console. Monopoly Plus and Monopoly Madness is the cheapest of those at $27.49. Furthermore, you’ll need to buy a controller, with the white Xbox Wireless Controller the cheapest at $54.99. By the way, a new Series X ships with a controller included.
Worth It or Not?
So, by time you buy the digital game, the used Xbox Series X will cost more than a new one. I’ll let you decide whether that is a good deal or not. Facts suggest it is frankly an awful deal, but the market conditions and availability of new consoles is a factor that cannot be ignored. If new Series X devices become more readily available, Microsoft will surely need to rethink the price structure for refurbished consoles. Until then, this may be a good way to get the in-demand console. By the way, if you are unfamiliar with what a refurbished console is. Essentially, it is a used and/or broken Xbox Series X that has been sent back to Microsoft. The company cleans, tests, and repairs it to its quality control standards and then resells it. Microsoft is adding a standard 12-month warranty to the refurbished devices. Tip of the day: When you boot Windows it delays the launch of startup programs for ten seconds so your desktop and Windows services will have finished loading. If you want to speed up boot time, have a look at our tutorial about how to disable startup delay.
