While we know that we can pre-order the Xbox Series X and Series S from September 22, we actually have some concrete information about when in the UK you can make that pre-order. These details are from VG247, and to my knowledge they are precise, so you should be able to count on them.
On September 22 you will be able to make your pre-order for an Xbox Series S or Series X at 8am. The Series S is set to cost £299, and the Series X is a lot more at £449. The confirmed locations that will offer pre-orders from this time are Amazon, the Microsoft Store, Argos, GAME, Smyths Toys, PC World, AO, John Lewis, and Very. Some of these are definitely not the kind of retailer that you’d associate with games consoles, such as Very. However, I can confirm that I’ve seen games and consoles on them before. Very in particular is a surprising one, because they often have great deals on consoles.
A couple of other specialist stores are also going to be offering pre-orders. These are Simply Games and The Game Collection. These guys are slightly smaller, so they may not be offering the same kind of deals that other larger retailers are. If however, you fancy supporting more independent businesses, these are the retailers to go for.
Finally, we need to talk about the Xbox All Access program. This is the payment plan that gets you an Xbox console, plus a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, all for a lower monthly cost, as opposed to that one-off upfront fee. It actually works out cheaper to get the consoles this way, providing you were definitely going to have Game Pass Ultimate as well. The retailers offering this from September 22 are GAME and Smyths Toys.
However, I’d be wary of this option for now. The only reason I say this is because I don’t know if deliveries for consoles on Xbox All Access will arrive at the same time as orders that have been purchased in one go from the retailer. I’m sure we’ll know more closer to the time, but for now my gut is telling me that these Xbox All Access orders will be a lower priority. If you want to guarantee that you get a new Xbox on November 10, my advice is to buy one outright, at least for now.
