Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles had a strong launch in India, with the Series S being the bestselling console in the early months of 2021. However, lately, stocks have been dry with no stocks in the last two months. According to retailers (speaking to IGN), the last time the Series X was in stock was in mid-May. This is rather disappointing as Microsoft was regular with restocking its next-gen consoles in the first and early second quarter of the year.
Meanwhile, Sony PS5 sales continue to dominate the gaming market in the country, with restocks for July expected soon. The only way to buy a Series X in India at the moment is via the grey market for a whopping 50% markup over the MSRP. None of the authorized retails, including Amazon or other online stores have had any stock in the last couple of months.
Most sources are attributing these shortages to the disruption of the supply chain on account of the pandemic, but the question is if Sony is able to regularly restock its stocks, why can’t Microsoft?
To make matters worse, these shortages extend to hard copies of games as well. While most gamers nowadays prefer digital copies, there’s still a substantial market for boxed versions in India. On Sony’s side, both 1st party titles, as well as third-party games are available on retail shelves. However, the excessively high pricing of the former means that it’s primarily games like Resident Evil Village and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War are dominating sales.
Source: IGN