Xbox Wants Idle Gamers To Sell Their Consoles As GTA 6 Spikes Demand

If you own an Xbox Series X or Series S console that has been sitting unplugged and gathering dust in your entertainment center, Microsoft would like a word. The company has begun sending targeted emails to account holders who have gone inactive on console hardware, actively encouraging them to pack up their idle systems and trade them in at Best Buy for store credit, according to an email making the rounds on social media. 

The promotional email shared by deal tracker Nintendeal gets straight to the point by asking, "Haven't played on your console in a while? If you've moved on to Xbox on PC or another way to play Xbox games, it may be time to trade in your console to Best Buy for up to $375 back."

Had the email come from Best Buy, nobody would have batted an eye, except for maybe the lowball offer. However, the pitch comes directly from Xbox (and by extension, Microsoft), which makes it a bit unusual, assuming that the email is legitimate (and we have no reason to think otherwise).

It's also a reflection of the unique timeline we find ourselves in, which through a combination of AI factory buildouts and the pending release of Grand Theft Auto VI, has seen console hardware balloon in price and become more scarce than usual, especially when you consider that Microsoft and Sony launched their current-generation systems nearly six years ago.

More than anything, however, the unusual pitch underscores the hype surrounding GTA VI, even if Xbox makes no mention of the title in its email. Because the highly-anticipated title is skipping PC at the outset and debuting exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S hardware, console demand is primed to surge. That said, rumor has it that Rockstar Games will release a PC port within the first three months of 2027.

What's also interesting, however, is that the Xbox Series X is readily available. Best Buy shows the Xbox Series X with disc drive as being in stock for $799.99, while the all-digital Xbox Series X is also in stock and priced at $749.99.

It gets murkier when shopping for PlayStation 5 hardware, and especially the faster and more capable PlayStation 5 Pro, which is currently sold out everywhere. The PS5 family has sold better than the Xbox Series X|S up to this point, and the focus on PS5 visuals for many of the GTA VI teasers up to this point is clearly benefiting Sony.

Nevertheless, it's understandable why Xbox/Microsoft might team up with Best Buy to get idle consoles into the hands of active gamers. While Microsoft doesn't get any revenue from console trade-ins (that we're aware of), it does stand to gain from having its hardware in the wild be reallocated to active players who are more likely to spend money on games, accessories, and services like Game Pass.

For anyone interested in trading in their Xbox hardware, the "up to $375" figure is not exclusive to recipients of the apparent targeted email campaign. Just visit Best Buy's trade-in portal and select your device, answer a few questions, and get your offer. We verified that an Xbox Series X in working condition with accessories qualifies for $375.