It’s been difficult for most folks to get their hands on the latest generation of game consoles, but Xbox is hoping to make the process a little less intensive for a select subset of people that already own an Xbox One console.
However, the focus of this new program is deliberately very narrow on Microsoft’s part as the company looks to solicit feedback on an unusual purchasing method.
Microsoft calls the new program the Console Purchase Pilot, and angles it as a sort of lottery a small subset of existing Xbox customers can use to potentially land a chance at purchasing an Xbox Series X|S console.
The lottery is only open to a deliberately small group of potential Xbox Series X|S purchasers. Specifically, Microsoft plans to send invites to a select group of people enrolled in its Xbox Insiders testing program, but only in the United States and only through Xbox One consoles.
Folks that receive a message can then voice their willingness to purchase an Xbox Series X|S, and from there a selection of the willing will be able to purchase a new console directly through their Xbox One.
The Console Purchase Pilot is, like all other features that hit the Xbox Insider program, something that Microsoft is eager to gather feedback on before potentially rolling it out to a larger audience. The Xbox team behind it notes that it’ll be reaching out for feedback on the program and the purchasing process after the fact, and to both those that took the opportunity and those that turned it down.
As mentioned before, the program’s debut comes during a period of scarcity for the latest line of video game consoles driven by manufacturing issues and part shortages. Both Microsoft and Sony have commented on the supply issues in recent months, with Xbox saying supply issues are likely to continue into the summer while PlayStation foresees issues well into 2022.