Microsoft denies claims that Target and Walmart stores are removing Xbox products from shelves
Rumours spread over the weekend that US stores were clearing out their Xbox stock
Microsoft has denied claims that US retailers including Target and Walmart have started removing Xbox products from their shelves.
Reddit user Jawwaad127 posted a message on the Gaming Reddit page on Saturday night, claiming that they worked for Target and that their store was no longer selling Xbox games.
“On Wednesday, the Target I work for has removed all Xbox games and I’m pretty sure it will be store wide,” they claimed. “All the games have been discontinued and will most likely go clearance.
“After all these years of selling Xbox games, it’s weird to see only PlayStation and Nintendo games being sold. In 10 years, I’m pretty sure there will no video games in stores. Just download cards. It’s definitely going make me sad due to me having so much nostalgia of me spending time in the video game sections of stores.”
The post started a chain reaction of similar claims and speculation over the weekend, with other alleged Target and Walmart workers making similar claims.
Reddit user CodeE1985 posted a photo on the Xbox Reddit page a couple of hours after Jawwaad127’s post, showing a shelf of empty cases where Xbox games are supposed to sit.
“My local Target is getting rid of their entire Xbox section,” they claimed. “The electronics manager says they will no longer carry systems, games , or accessories. He also said all Targets in the Kansas City area are purging their Xbox stock as well.”
Former IGN video editor Destin Legarie questioned the claims, saying he had called both his local Walmart and his local Target and that neither had heard anything about Xbox products being removed.
“I just called my local Walmart to ask if they were discontinuing or pulling Xbox stock,” Legarie wrote on X. “They said ‘at least to my knowledge I haven’t heard anything about like clearing inventory or anything like that. Or about being discontinued.’ They also said still have them in stock.”
I don’t know if this is true or accurate, but I do know that I called my local Walmart and Target. Both stores haven’t heard anything about pulling stock or discontinuing Xbox.
They both also have Xbox in stock.
So take that for what you will. https://t.co/I4HsUcmzlL
— Destin (@DestinLegarie) October 12, 2025
Legarie pointed out that when stories spread last month about Costco discontinuing Xbox consoles, he called Costco too and did get confirmation that it was no longer carrying Xbox consoles, and that therefore Walmart and Target appeared to be a different situation.
Former Xbox Live director of programming Larry ‘Major Nelson‘ Hryb, who left Microsoft in 2023, also posted: “All I know is I went to a couple of Target and GameStop stores this week, and did find Xbox hardware and games for sale.”
Now Microsoft has posted a statement denying the claims, stating that Target and Walmart are continuing to sell Xbox products.
“Target and Walmart, among other retailers, remain committed partners for Xbox consoles, accessories, and games”, the company told Windows Central in a statement.
Some have suggested that retailers are allocating less space to physical game media in general as more players shift to digital, and that some stores may be reducing their Xbox shelves – as opposed to actually discontinuing sales of its products – to make more space for products currently selling more, such as Switch 2 and PS5 games.
Microsoft increased the price of its Xbox consoles in the US on October 3, following a previous price increase in May. A 512GB Xbox Series S now costs $399 instead of its launch price of $299, and an Xbox Series X costs $649 compared to its launch price of $499.
