Xbox’s 25th Anniversary Edition Sells Out Instantly at $899

The original Xbox made its debut in November 2001, and to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Microsoft unveiled a special edition Xbox Series X this week. Pre-orders for the limited edition Xbox Series X25 kicked off at 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, and by 10:01 a.m., they were completely sold out. By the time the announcement about pre-orders hit social media, the anniversary collection was already out of stock.

The Xbox Series X25 features a unique controller that sports the classic translucent OG green design, along with a digital copy of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of one of the franchise’s most significant titles.

Despite being a special edition, many fans were taken aback by the Xbox Series X25’s price tag of $899.99. When the original Xbox Series X launched six years ago, it was priced at $499.99. Due to rising hardware costs, the current model is now listed at $799.99. While the additional $100 for this limited edition console, which includes a game, might not seem excessive, it’s still a six-year-old console being sold for $899.99.

Regardless of opinions on its pricing, the anniversary-themed Xbox sold out in mere seconds. It’s unclear if Microsoft anticipated the demand or if bots and scalpers were involved, but the console has vanished from the official Microsoft Store and other retailers.

On the resale market, scalpers are listing the console for anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000, with some already making a profit. Listings on eBay show that buyers have paid as much as $2,995 to snag the console from these resellers—more than triple its original price.

Here’s what we know, what we think we know, and what remains uncertain.