Microsoft: Retailers Remain Committed Partners for Xbox Consoles, Accessories, and Games - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 12 October 2025 / 3,385 Views
There have been rumors over the last several days that Xbox stock was running out at several stores and even some retailers, including Target and Walmart, had begun removing the Xbox section from their store.
Microsoft has shot down the rumors stating retailer are committed in selling Xbox consoles, accessories, and games.
"Target and Walmart, among other retailers, remain committed partners for Xbox consoles, accessories, and games," reads the Microsoft statement sent to Windows Central.
A Walmart employee told a user on social media they "haven't heard anything about like clearing inventory or anything like that. Or about being discontinued."
Former Xbox employee Larry "Major" Nelson stated, "All I know is I went to a couple of Target and GameStop stores this week, and did find Xbox hardware and games for sale."
There was an image going around that showed a mostly empty Xbox section at a Target, however, it has been discovered the image was posted over two years ago on Reddit.
There was another rumor going around earlier this month that claimed Microsoft had cancelled its plans to release a next-generation Xbox and to move entirely to Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, Microsoft has responded stating the company is still investing in the future of Xbox hardware.
"We are actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox," said Microsoft at the time. "For more details, the community can revisit our agreement announcement with AMD."
Xbox president Sarah Bond in June announced Microsoft and AMD established a multi-year partnership to co-engineer the silicon for multiple devices, including next-generation Xbox consoles.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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Only Microsoft has to put out weekly statements confirming they're still in the console business
https://www.resetera.com/threads/the-gamer-target-and-walmart-are-allegedly-pulling-their-xbox-stock-according-to-staff-and-customers.1322986/page-9
This thread is full of testimony of people that have gone to multiple stores, and often has pictures showing the xbox sections. Most without xbox consoles, and games. Its all like gift cards & accessories. So excuse me for not really believing "Windows Central" here. There is a reddit thread just like it, with multiple peoples acccounts of how target and walmart have shrunk or removed parts of the xbox sections.
Yep, they are for sure damage controlling, in your link, one of the images has a card for Avowed so they are certainly pictures from this year!
I can't speak for other Targets but I can speak for one near me. The Xbox section is still decently stocked and I would say is about 30% smaller than the PlayStation section. The Nintendo section is twice as big as PlayStation's. There are two recent release displays where one section is for Xbox and PlayStation and one just for Nintendo (which also includes Amiibo).
As for the games Nintendo and PlayStation get quite a bit of recent releases on store shelves (especially Nintendo). Xbox has recent releases too, but not as much as PlayStation even games that release on both sometimes Xbox is left out. (Examples: Daemon X Machina, Metaphor Refantazio, Dragon Quest 3 HD, etc.)
Stop talking Microsoft. Everything you say at this point can't be trusted or believed.
This is what happens when you lose consumer trust. Even if a rumor is baseless, the public finds it believable because that trust is gone.
"The Target app shows 4 stores in my area with series s in stock and 16 stores out of stock or not sold. None have series x." There are tons of quotes like that in the thread, on resetera (a more positive xbox forum). There pictures of stores with barely any xbox section. If most stores don't have hardware to sell.... is that still "committed partners for xbox consoles & accessories" ?
4 out of 16 stores had series S in stock, 0 out of 16 stores had series X.
This is basically MS saying "don't believe your lying eyes"
What people can visibly see with their own eyes in the stores around them is not a rumour though.
I remain skeptical; in early 2024 they said only 4 games would be going multiplat, now Forza and Gears are on PS5. Talk is one thing, let's see how reality plays out
I haven't checked my local retailers, but I am guessing if anything the Xbox sections in stores are being shrunk down as Xbox hardware sales are declining and the majority of Xbox consoles are now digital, so not a ton of physical Xbox games are being sold. Though, Xbox controllers are likely still selling well as I am pretty sure they are the most used controllers on PC.
Wake up babe, new season of Lie to Me just dropped.
In Poland (I live in capital) we have ps5, switch 1 and 2 in every electro market but finding xsx is almost imposible. Sometimes there is one or two xss but that's it. There is more accessories but consoles are practically not available.
And according to CNN, Biden was healthy as a horse in 2024.
No matter what they say it feels the writing is on the wall at least for the Series consoles. Sales are dropping hard everywhere and they just gave up stocking the thing in a lot of markets.
I'm just curious to see what they're going to do next.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
