Retailers are still selling Xbox consoles as Microsoft clarifies Walmart and Target situation

Many users recently reported online that Walmart and Target could be scaling back or downright stopping their Xbox console and game sales. The troubling developments, which we promptly covered, came from several different people, which gave weight to these rumors. 

Considering Microsoft’s seemingly inept handling of Xbox, it was likely that retailers like Target would stop investing in Xbox hardware and software, using the freed capacity for popular systems like the Nintendo Switch 2 (Available on Amazon). However, it now appears that these concerns might have been overblown.

Microsoft has clarified to Windows Central that “Target and Walmart, among other retailers, remain committed partners for Xbox consoles, accessories, and games”. This official statement will help, even if only a little, to dispel misinformation that has been making rounds online. 

However, Xbox’s reputation as a trustworthy brand that cares for its fanbase has arguably never been worse. So, it is likely that such rumors will keep popping up, as fans will interpret any negative development, no matter how baseless or small it is, as one more nail in Xbox’s coffin.

Microsoft has played a huge role in eroding consumer trust in Xbox

Ever since the start of this console generation, Microsoft has seemed uncertain on how to handle Xbox. Microsoft has randomly changed policies from doubling-down on Game Pass with expensive acquisitions to releasing first-party games on PlayStation. Even Game Pass, which was once universally recognized as a phenomenal value, has suffered from repeated price increases.

Adding salt to the injury, Microsoft has refused to stomach the increased cost of hardware and has passed it down to consumers, raising prices of Xbox consoles by quite a bit. As a result, the Xbox Series X starts at $549.99 for the Digital Edition and goes up to $799.99 for the 2 TB model. The once-affordable Xbox Series S, which could be had for just $299 at launch, now retails for $399.99 for the 512 GB version (1 TB version Available on Amazon).

Granted, Sony has also increased prices of the PS5 consoles in the US. However, unlike Xbox, consumers are willing to pay these prices as shown by the sales difference between Xbox and PlayStation and the discourse surrounding both brands online.

Long story short, while Microsoft has cleared the confusion around retail sales of the Xbox consoles and games at Walmart and Target, there is no telling what the tech giant might do in the coming months. So, the fate of Xbox is still up in the air.