How to enter Box’s Xbox Series X ballot

Xbox Series X retail box packaging — Will you get lucky? (pic: Microsoft)

The Xbox Series X and S is sold out everywhere at the moment but if you take part in Box’s ballot you might still have a chance of getting one.

The next gen consoles have been sold out ever since they first came out last month and there’s not much time left now to try and get one before Christmas, but there are still options.

One is to pay over the odds on eBay but if you’d prefer not to then the next best bet is to try the ballot system that online retailer Box is using.

The idea is that you register your interest with them and then when they get stock in they pick people at random to email and ask if they want to buy an Xbox.

This is not only farer in general – and means that their site won’t fall down if everyone tries to access it at once – but it also means that scalpers have much less of a chance of snapping up all the consoles themselves.

To enter Box’s Xbox Series X ballot is very simple, just go to this site and click on ‘Enter Allocation Ballot’. That will take you to a page where you have to fill in your name, email address, gender, and date of birth.

Enter those details and that’s all you have to do. After that it’s literally a lottery as to whether Box will contact you with the option to buy a console, but at least you have a chance.

How to enter Box’s Xbox Series S ballot

The same system is also being used to buy an Xbox Series S, the cheaper but less powerful variant of the next gen console.

That works in exactly the same way, except you have to click this link instead. There’s no reason at all you shouldn’t enter both ballots, as there’s no payment needed and you can just say no if they contact you about buying a console.

When will the Xbox Series X be back in stock in the UK?

If you don’t get lucky then there might not be many other chances to buy an Xbox Series X or S before Christmas, although other stores are getting limited amounts of stock in all the time.

Microsoft has estimated it’ll be April till the Xbox Series X is easily available from shops, although it should get at least a bit easier before that.