Xbox 25th Anniversary Console Preorders are Open, Sort Of

Some of Xbox’s most dedicated fans got early access to preorders today through direct email invitations, likely Xbox Insiders and select influencers. It doesn’t appear like there’s any strict criteria to receive a preorder invite. Many longtime Xbox players reported they did not receive an email despite 20+ years of purchasing Xbox Live, while gamers with less playtime were picked to preorder one.

If you weren’t included in today’s initial window, don’t worry. Everyone else gets their shot tomorrow, August 27, when Xbox opens general preorders at 7 AM PT.

The bundle includes the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition console in a translucent OG Green shell, a matching X25 Special Edition controller, and a digital download of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Every console is individually numbered between 1 and 25,000. Those numbers are a bit higher than we were hoping (and more than double what PlayStation produced for their 30th Anniversary consoles), but it’s good to know we have a hard cap on global production.

A standard Xbox Series X 1TB bundle currently runs $800, so the anniversary edition carries roughly a $100 premium for the exclusive colorway, the engraving, and a free copy of Halo: Campaign Evolved. That’s a reasonable markup for a limited run console, leaving real room for resale value once hype sets in. The standalone controller backs that up. It sold out almost instantly today, and eBay is already flooded with listings asking around $150, though nothing has actually sold yet, so treat that as an early signal rather than proof of demand.

Resellers have months to watch the secondary market shake out before committing real money, since the console doesn’t ship until November. Xbox allows free preorder cancellations and accepts returns within 60 days of delivery, keeping the downside low if resale demand cools off.

With 25,000 total consoles produced, we don’t expect a rush of sales immediately after preorders open. This will probably be something you’ll need to sit on for a while, but sales will likely pick up as we get closer to the ship date in November.

The controller sold out in minutes today with zero fanfare. If the console follows that pattern, tomorrow’s 7 AM PT window won’t stay open for long.

In related news, someone in Seattle stumbled across a prototype Xbox Series 3 Elite controller. These aren’t supposed to release publicly until next year. Not only that, but they found it listed for sale on OfferUp. The timing and location suggests a disgruntled ex-employee smuggled it out of the office following Xbox’s record layoffs. We cover the full story here.