Xbox announces exactly when Series X and S pre-orders will open as PS5 scramble continues

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Xbox has revealed exactly when pre-orders of the Series X and S will open – amid ongoing chaos as people rush to buy the PS5.

The company revealed the timing and specific retailers that the consoles will be available on 22 September, when pre-orders for the console opened.

Microsoft had already sent a tweet that appeared aimed at PlayStation, making clear that it would give precise details of the timing of its pre-orders. It came as players complained that Sony had not given a precise indication of when PlayStation pre-orders would open, leaving some players forced to keep refreshing pages while other missed the chance to try and buy one.

For the most part, pre-orders will start at 8am local time on the morning of 22 September.

In the UK, that means they will start at 8am and be available on “Microsoft Store, GAME, Amazon, Dixons, Currys PC World, Argos, John Lewis, Smyths Toys, VERY, AO, Tesco, Simply Game, Shopto and other participating retailers”.

In the US it will be at 8am pacific time, and they will be available at “Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Newegg, and other participating retailers”.

Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, orders will start at 9am Central European Summer Time, at “Microsoft Store, Amazon, MediaMarkt, GameStop, FNAC, Elkjøp/Elgiganten, and other participating retailers”, Microsoft said.

Microsoft has already revealed full pricing details of both versions of the Xbox, after major leaks revealed information on both the Series X and S.

They will finally go on sale on 10 November, the company said.

Microsoft also noted that both versions of the console will be available through its Xbox All Access scheme. Pre-orders will open under that scheme at the same time, though in a more limited run of retailers.