Xbox emails owners to trade in idle consoles for up to $375

Xbox is working the trade market. Microsoft has started emailing some Series X and S owners with a pitch: if you are not playing your console, turn it in to Best Buy for up to $375. ¹²

What changed. The email asks, “Haven’t played on your console in a while?” and points to Xbox on PC or other ways to play as reasons to move on. ¹² Xbox confirmed to Gizmodo that the message is real. ² The idea was laid out on June 25, when Microsoft said it was working with retail partners so players could trade in consoles for cash or store credit, with those machines resold at lower prices. ³

Why it is happening. Microsoft said in June that console storage and memory prices have risen by more than 2.5 times and that it expects another doubling by the fall of 2027. ³ It also said consoles are usually sold for less than they cost to make. ³ The company raised prices again effective August 1, putting the Series S at $499.99 and the Series X at $749.99 without a disc drive or $799.99 with one. ⁴ Used consoles in circulation help ease supply, and as Engadget points out, a console that is still in use can keep generating Game Pass and digital sales. ¹ Gizmodo cites a market report projecting console shipments to fall 33% in 2026. ²

What it costs you. The $375 figure is the ceiling, and it requires a Series X in good condition with a working controller, power cord and stand. ¹² A console listed in poor condition fetches about $150, and missing cables or a controller can push the offer lower. ² Best Buy pays in store credit only. ¹

That convenience comes at a discount. Recently sold eBay listings for the Series X show prices above $500, according to Gizmodo, which is still short of the $650 Microsoft asks for a refurbished unit. ² Selling yourself takes more work, but Engadget notes it nets more, especially if you include extra controllers and docks. ¹

If you are thinking of holding on, there is a reason. AMD announced FSR 4.1 upscaling for the Series S and Series X, which could bring their performance closer to PlayStation 5 class if developers add support to existing titles. ²

Our read: Microsoft is trying to refill its own used-console pipeline while new hardware gets pricier, and the trade-in offer is the easiest way to do it. For owners, the deal is real but thin: you are paid in credit, at a rate below what the open market is paying. Standings check: Xbox picks up a point for offering a trade-in lane at all, but loses it on the price, with the $500-plus eBay market beating the store-credit offer. The final whistle on your decision comes down to whether you value the quick drop-off over the extra cash. Season’s long, folks.

Footnotes

1. Engadget, “Microsoft really wants you to sell that Xbox you’re not using”. Retrieved October 31, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. Gizmodo, “Xbox Is Desperate for You to Trade In Your Old Console—Here’s Why You Shouldn’t”. Retrieved October 31, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Xbox Wire, “Updated XBOX Console Prices”. Retrieved October 31, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. The Verge, “Xbox prices spike another $100 or more”. Retrieved October 31, 2026. ↩