Gamers looking to snag an Xbox One or PS4 in the UK in time for Xmas are most likely out of luck unless they are prepared to pay some extortionate prices from private sellers on shopping websites such as ebay, or even online retailers like Amazon. From our own experiences and using a number of stock checking tools, the availability of the consoles shows that demand has outstripped supply leaving both Sony and Microsoft in a position where they will possibly miss out on some impulse sales, but will hopefully benefit from post Xmas shoppers in January. What is clear, is that many retailers will be restocked by then, but it’s uncertain  how quickly these will fly off the shelves especially as some pre-orders are yet to be fulfilled.

Meanwhile down under and across the pond, there have been many reports that Xbox One is still available in some stores which suggests maybe Microsoft are making sure  North America is well stocked and perhaps  underestimated demand in the European region. That said, being a little more cynical, having items sell out and deemed hot property and then drip feeding supplies, is a great tactic for drumming up anticipation and ultimately more sales. It will be interesting to see how Sony and Microsoft tackle the current levels of demand in the coming months.