Microsoft is reportedly emailing some Xbox owners who have not used their consoles recently, suggesting they consider trading them through Best Buy.
The message reportedly says customers could receive up to $375 for an Xbox Series X or up to $200 for an Xbox Series S. Several users have shared versions of the email online, including the initial post from X and follow-up reports from other users on X and ResetEra.
What the reported email says
The email appears to target people who may have shifted to Xbox gaming on PC or another supported device. Its opening question asks whether the recipient has “Haven’t played on your console in a while?” before suggesting that it may be time to trade the hardware in at Best Buy.
That wording has prompted plenty of disbelief. Encouraging customers to sell their Xbox consoles is an unusual message from the company that makes them, and some readers initially suspected the screenshots were fabricated.
“Haven’t played on your console in a while? If you’ve moved on to XBOX on PC or another way to play XBOX games, it may be time to trade in”
The original post was shared on October 19, 2026.
Why the message may be genuine
One reason for the confusion is the sender address shown in the screenshots. Although an address using the @e.xbox.com domain may look unusual, it is an official Xbox subdomain. A Microsoft employee confirmed in 2025 that the domain is used by Microsoft and Xbox for communications.
Microsoft and Best Buy also already work together. In 2025, the companies joined a campaign to advertise Microsoft Copilot features to Best Buy customers and on social media. Microsoft also said that Best Buy had added Microsoft Defender for Endpoint alongside its existing Tanium endpoint management system.
That established commercial relationship makes the trade-in promotion more plausible, even if the message remains striking. The reports do not establish whether Microsoft receives a share of trade-in revenue or whether the arrangement forms part of a broader business agreement.
An unusual approach to inactive consoles
The reported campaign has attracted mockery online, including one post that ridiculed the idea. Traditional email scams commonly target people with limited technical knowledge, but that approach would be a poor fit for the Xbox audience and the specific hardware being discussed.
For owners considering what to do with an unused console, the decision is not limited to a trade-in. A Series X or Series S can remain part of a broader home gaming setup, while buyers seeking a dedicated retro experience can explore RETROCADE’s arcade news, compare options in the arcade machine buying guide, or browse available arcade machines.
At present, the reports establish that multiple users received similar emails and that the domain and Microsoft–Best Buy relationship are legitimate. They do not, however, explain the precise commercial terms behind the offer or confirm whether every Xbox owner is eligible for the quoted amounts.
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