How I snagged Xbox Series X restock at Walmart — and beat the evil bots

How I snagged Xbox Serial X restock at Walmart — and beat the evil bots

(Prototype credit: Shutterstock)

Getting an Xbox Series X — similar getting a PS5 — is currently a fraught process. Not only will y'all exist competing against thousands of other desperate customers, only you'll be at a significant disadvantage against an regular army of greedy scalpers and their sophisticated bots.

Still, I managed to practise it — and I learned a very important lesson along the way: Fix your payment information in advance. Here's how I beat the odds to get an Xbox Series 10 at Walmart and how you can practice the same.

Where to purchase Xbox Series X: Latest restock updates
Which console wins? PS5 vs Xbox Series Ten
Plus: Xbox Game Pass loses one fantastic game, but gains another

My Xbox Series X mission

I've had the Xbox Series X for a little more than a calendar month now, and information technology is indeed a beautiful console with a fantastic game library. Whether you really need i instead of an Xbox One (or an Xbox 1 10) is a fair question, just I recall it's a great buy, whether you make it at present or in a few months.

However, panel purchases can't always look a few months, particularly when y'all're trying to get someone a gift. My partner recently got a telephone call with an urgent mission: Her cousin wanted an Xbox Series X, and knew that tracking one down inside the next week would be nothing brusque of a miracle. Was there any way that I could help him out?

First, I should come clean: Apart from receiving review units, tech journalists don't have whatsoever kind of special access to next-gen consoles. If I wanted to buy an Xbox Serial X, my chances were exactly as good as anybody else'southward — and thanks to huge organic need on top of ruthless scalpers, those chances are pretty minimal at the moment.

That was when Louis Ramirez came to my rescue. Louis is a group senior editor for deals for Tom'southward Guide, although maybe "senior wizard" would exist more authentic. No one has a better nose when it comes to console restocks, and he mentioned that Walmart would get 1 at 3 p.one thousand. ET. Walmart has taken some anti-scalper measures , and I at least had to endeavour.

Walmart Xbox Serial X restock

Work quickly to secure a console

At 3 p.one thousand., I was ready, with my finger on the F5 and my cursor on the spot where "Add to Cart" would evidence up. I refreshed Walmart'south Xbox Series X page and saw the promised bluish push announced. I clicked "Add to Cart" — and was greeted with a message that the detail had sold out betwixt the time I refreshed the page and clicked my mouse. All in all, the 3 p.m. shipment was in stock for a fiddling less than 10 seconds.

Undeterred, I decided I would endeavour again at three:10 p.thou., equally Walmart intended to sell the Xbox Series X in iii batches, each 10 minutes apart. This fourth dimension, I told myself, I'd be ready. As my computer'due south clock struck three:09:55, I hit F5; at 3:10 on the dot, I hitting "Add together to Cart." This time, I was successful. There was an Xbox Series 10 in my shopping cart. All I had to practise was fill in my shipping and payment information.

This took a picayune chip longer than anticipated, since I was aircraft the console to a totally new address, only laying out the money with my own credit card, tied to my home accost. Still, I reasoned that I was already on the payment page; my panel was secure.

By saving the aircraft and billing data in advance, I'd saved myself precious seconds in the checkout procedure.

My console was non secure, as I learned a few minutes later when I tried to confirm my lodge. While I'd been double-checking the cousin's address, Walmart had sold the Xbox to some other customer. I tin merely hope that information technology was a real person who'll be excited to get it, and not an unscrupulous reseller.

I had one last chance at three:twenty p.m., simply this time, I was ready. I had the cousin's address saved in my Walmart profile, as well every bit my own billing address and credit carte du jour information. When the availability window rolled around, I clicked "Add to Cart," followed immediately by "Keep to checkout." I confirmed the gild, and got a receipt via e-mail a few minutes later.

Saving precious time

xbox series x review — (Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

Past saving the shipping and billing information in accelerate, I'd saved myself precious seconds in the checkout process. And those seconds are indeed precious — the entire Xbox Series 10 shipment sold out in less than a minute during each brief availability window.

I don't know whether other retailers will salvage your item if you take a long time filling out checkout information, but there's no need to take that risk. If y'all know a retailer will be getting a panel shipment, fill out all relevant account details in advance. At best, it could help you nab a system; at worst, information technology'll save you lot a footstep anyhow.

My advice for console-hunters is the same every bit earlier: Agree off for now, and play through your electric current-gen backlog if you can. (Remember: the Xbox Series X doesn't have any true exclusive games at the moment. Your PC or Xbox Ane will suffice just fine in the concurrently.) But if you lot're still committed to trying your luck in the retailer lottery, accept an account ready with shipment and billing information ready to go. Information technology may but exist the divergence between getting a console and walking away empty-handed.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of scientific discipline and engineering science. Later hours, you lot tin can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.