- The Xbox Series X and Series S preorders sold out on Tuesday, and some customers ended up buying the old-gen Xbox One X on Amazon.
- The One X shot in popularity on Amazon by 747%, an unexpected jump from a product that Microsoft already discontinued.
- The affordable Series S is more powerful than the One X, even though it might not run games optimized for the old console.
The naming structure that Microsoft chose for the 2020 Xbox models is easily one of the most annoying things about it. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S lack the simplicity and personality of the PlayStation names. PS5 is clean and clear. You know it’s the next-gen console from Sony. Xbox Series X sounds too much like Xbox One X. Add Series S to the mix, and nobody will blame you if you get confused. Talking and writing about the new Xbox models is all the more difficult, and you’ll find yourself misnaming the various version all the time. Typing “Series X,” “Series S,” and “One X” in the same post over and over can be quite irritating. This will be even more annoying for people who aren’t necessarily gamers, but who are looking for new consoles for their kids. And from the looks of it, the naming scheme of the new Xbox has already made its first victims. Just as the Series X and Series S sold out during the first day of preorders, some people found themselves ordering the old Xbox One X.
The Xbox One X is the absolute best version of the previous-gen console, and a device you should not purchase. Microsoft has already discontinued it, but you might still find it in stores that have stock on hand. The Xbox One X is slower than the Xbox Series S, and the latter is the much better choice if you don’t want to spend $500 on the Series X. Even if it can’t take advantage of the graphics optimized for One X when it comes to some games. But the One X should not even be on your radar this holiday season. The One X is priced at around $400 on Amazon, which is cheaper than the Series X, but $100 more than the new Series S.
Xbox One X sales rank is up 747% on Amazon lol…
Wonder how many people bought an Xbox One X instead of an Xbox Series X https://t.co/atj4thPwqD pic.twitter.com/CUzRkib3Sr
— Andrew Alerts (@AndrewAlerts) September 22, 2020
Amazon is one place where you might find plenty of Xbox One X stock, and from the looks of it, many people purchased the console. The One X sales rank shot up by 747% on Amazon on Tuesday, which was the first day of Series X and Series S preorders. Amazon stock both 2020 Xbox models as well.
As The Verge explains, that percentage increase shows how much the console climbed up the charts. It’s not an increase in unit sales.
Still, some people may have gotten confused on Tuesday and ordered the wrong console. You can return the Xbox One X when it arrives at your door in the coming days, of course. But the Series X and Series S are both sold out, so you might not be able to get your order if you’ve missed your chance. Still, more stock should be available in the future, and some stores will have new Xbox units on launch day.
This, separately, a funny and interesting potential explanation for the Xbox One X ranking so highly on Amazon. https://t.co/iTtHb7W2Kz
— Patrick Klepek (@patrickklepek) September 22, 2020
One other explanation for the unexpected popularity of the discontinued One X is bots who placed automated orders. Still, it was a human error that lead there, in case that’s what happened. And it’s still Microsoft annoying Series X/S naming structure that’s to blame for all of this.
