1 source 1h ago
Xbox Chief Says Refurbished Console Program Will Expand to Ease Supply Shortage
Asha Sharma, head of Xbox at Microsoft, said on X that console sales remain constrained by supply, with more demand than consoles available.
Reporting from 1 source: GAME Watch (Impress).
Why it matters
Microsoft is naming refurbished hardware as a way to meet holiday demand because new console supply cannot keep up, an admission that the shortage is not resolving on its own.
Key Facts
- Asha Sharma, head of Xbox, said on X on October 28, 2026, that console sales remain constrained by supply.
- Sharma said Microsoft is working to get more consoles to players, including through an expanded refurbishment program.
- Microsoft did not disclose details of the expanded refurbishment program.
- Sharma said Xbox revenue declined 2% year over year in Q1, compared with a 10% decline a quarter earlier.
- Certified refurbished Xbox consoles are sold through the Microsoft Store and authorized retail shops.
She said the company is working to get more consoles into players' hands, including through an expanded refurbishment program. Microsoft did not disclose details of the expansion. Sharma also said Q1 Xbox revenue declined 2% year over year, compared with a 10% decline a quarter earlier.
Sharma's post pairs the refurbishment plan with the quarter's numbers: a 2% year-over-year decline in Xbox revenue, narrower than the 10% drop a quarter before. She said Minecraft and World of Warcraft set records, Call of Duty had its most acclaimed release in more than a decade, and PC platform revenue grew by double digits. The consoles themselves are the weak link. Certified refurbished units are recovered from returns, trade-ins and initial defects, then repaired and sold through the Microsoft Store and authorized retailers. How far the program will expand, and how many units it can add, is not yet public.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) XBOX、公式認定中古機の更なる強化を表明。今年のホリデーシーズンはゲーム機の供給不足を中古で補う流れが鮮明に