Although Microsoft attempted to provide a smooth Xbox Series X/S pre-order experience than the PS5's sloppy pre-launch sales scramble by providing buyers with exact times and locations where pre-orders would be available, multiple retail websites have crashed followed by the upcoming Xbox consoles selling out in a matter of minutes. While it can be seen as a positive showing for the demand of the next-gen Xbox consoles, many consumers were frustrated with yet another botched pre-order event.
The Xbox pre-order event was reminiscent of the PlayStation 5 pre-orders which also caused websites like Walmart and GameStop to crash. The PS5 fiasco was a product of misinformation and confusion, as buyers scrabbled to find available pre-orders the day before they were meant to be released. To avoid this same confusion and frustration, Xbox offered a list of specific times and retailers where consumers could pre-order an Xbox Series X/S, likely in a bid to also hold retailers more accountable than Sony had. However, this attempt at professional and courteous organization may have ultimately backfired.
On September 22 at 8 a.m. PT in both the U.S. and Canada (8 a.m. BST in the UK), the floodgates opened as pre-orders for the Xbox Series X|S consoles were made available by various retailers. The official Xbox Twitter announced the commencement of the pre-order window, and consumers flocked to the websites of Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart to buy up the next-gen consoles. Or at least that was the plan until various websites stopped working causing buyers to flood to the websites that reportedly did work. Corporate insider Geoff Keighley was one of many potential buyers reporting when pre-order pages were functiona, as well as his own struggles to secure an Xbox Series X.
Websites such as Walmart and Target crashing was only one factor that played into the pre-order frustration as online retailers sold out in a matter of minutes when they finally came back online. Keighley notably tweeted a number of times reporting when a website's pre-order page went live, but followed up each tweet shortly after reporting that the consoles were sold out. It took four minutes for the Microsoft Store to sell out of both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The frustration from the event caused "Microsoft Store" to trend on Twitter with users complaining about the poorly orchestrated sales opener.
Looking back, Xbox should have known better than to take shots at Sony for its abysmal pre-order event because Xbox didn't fare well either. It's almost expected for pre-order events for next-gen consoles to end like both Xbox and PS5's. The technical difficulties are unavoidable with the number of people rushing to purchase a console, so it makes sense that GameStop would crash under the weight of hundreds of thousands of simultaneous users. In a way, the hysteria surrounding the events is a positive for both Microsoft and Sony as it shows its consumers are very excited to get their hands on a next-gen console.
Sources: Xbox, Geoff Keighley, Wood Hawker