It looks like even if you’ve been unable to pre-order an Xbox One, you’ll be able to find one this holiday season. Apparently Microsoft has examined the 2005 launch of the Xbox 360, and are looking to avoid any supply shortages later this year.
According to Microsoft’s Phil Spencer, “Availability should feel a lot better than it did for 360. If people want to pick up more controllers and games, they’ll be there. We feel really good about our pre-order number, and we’re managing it through allocation rather than demand.”
According to Spencer, it’s important that consumers see consoles on shelves this year if they have an intention to buy.
“You want people to be able to walk in the store and buy one on day one, so you’re trying to manage the inventory that isn’t pre-sold. It’s not a yield problem, it’s us trying to manage the hardware side… I want parents who don’t think about pre-ordering electronics to be able to walk in and have a chance to find a box. There might be a line, but I don’t want it to be that if you didn’t pre-order in September, you can’t get one. That doesn’t feel like a great consumer experience.”
Hopefully Microsoft will make good on this. The 2005 launch of the Xbox 360 saw a huge demand, with price gouging on both the actual hardware and accessories for the new console.
