Ever since the arrival of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, gamers have struggled to get their hands on next-gen consoles. For the last year, scalpers have used bots to occupy large retail websites like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy to buy the consoles in bulk. Scalpers make it hard for shoppers because their bots clear out the stock within seconds of going live. They then sell the consoles for an inflated price, with some PlayStation 5’s going for USD 1,000. However, Congress has stepped in with plans to ban the use of bots.
The “Stopping Grinch Bots Act” was introduced by Representative Paul Tonko, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and Senator Ben Ray Luján. The recently-introduced bill implies that “Grinch Bots” are forcing Americans to pay ridiculous prices for consoles this holiday season. If passed, this bill will ban the use of bots. However, given the current state of the pandemic and the process it takes to pass a bill, we might not see the bill passed until after the holiday season. Nevertheless, this bill is an excellent thing for people still trying to get a next-generation console.
Console Alternatives
If you are having a hard time getting your hands on a console this holiday, a great alternative console would be an Xbox Series S. Microsoft’s secondary console smashed sales numbers over the holiday weekend, and it’s widely still available. In a report by Business Insider.
“Among the over one trillion visits to U.S. retail sites measured by Adobe, the Xbox Series S was among the top-selling items thus far for Black Friday 2021.”
While the console isn’t as powerful as the Xbox Series X, it is only 300 USD and fully digital. The price point and the availability have made Xbox Series S a desirable second option and an excellent console for people wanting to get the most out of Xbox Game Pass.
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