Xbox Series X25 Anniversary Consoles Command Exorbitant Prices on eBay as Scalpers Strike Again
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Limited edition Xbox Series X25 anniversary consoles are selling for over $2,000 on eBay as scalpers exploit high demand and low stock.
As reported by IGN South Africa, pre-orders for Microsoft's limited edition Xbox Series X25 anniversary console went live recently, and scalpers immediately moved in to exploit the demand. Retailing at an already steep $899.99 for the translucent green box and $79.99 for the themed controller, the bundle includes a copy of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Within just 24 hours of going live, successful eBay listings for the hardware bundle surged past the $2,000 mark, with some closing as high as $2,800. Standalone controllers featuring the hidden original Xbox logo are also seeing massive markups, fetching upwards of $185 compared to their standard retail price.
This predatory resale market mirrors recent hardware and collectible launches across the industry, from Valve's latest hardware to physical trading cards, leaving genuine players empty-handed as major retailers sell out. Unlike standard hardware drops, Microsoft has not indicated any plans to produce additional batches of the anniversary console, which features unique individual engravings on each unit. This extreme scarcity gives opportunistic resellers a wide berth to inflate prices before the hardware officially launches in November.
For a community looking to celebrate two and a half decades of Xbox history, this kind of aggressive scalping is a frustrating familiar routine. While Microsoft framed the release as a tribute to its player base, the reality of securing limited physical hardware remains an uphill battle. Players hoping to grab a piece of this milestone will have to navigate a secondary market driven by profit rather than fandom, highlighting the ongoing tension between digital accessibility and physical collector culture.
Tags: Xbox, Gaming Hardware, Industry News, PlayStation
Original article: IGN South Africa