Xbox owners have reportedly begun receiving emails from Microsoft suggesting it might be time to trade in their consoles at Best Buy. The emails, which have surfaced online from multiple users, offer trade-in values of up to $375 for Xbox Series X and $200 for Xbox Series S consoles.
These messages purportedly open by asking Xbox owners, "Haven't played on your console in a while?" They then suggest that if users "moved on to XBOX on PC or another way to play XBOX games," it "may be time to trade in" their current system at Best Buy. While some users have expressed skepticism, with many assuming the screenshots are fake due to the sender's email address, corroborating posts have appeared on platforms like X and ResetEra.
The email address in question, reportedly ending in "@e.xbox.com," is an official Xbox subdomain. A Microsoft employee previously confirmed this domain as legitimate for communications from Microsoft and Xbox. Furthermore, Microsoft and Best Buy share a pre-existing business relationship, having collaborated on campaigns like "AI That" in 2025 to promote Microsoft's Copilot features. Best Buy also utilizes Microsoft Defender for Endpoint as part of its security infrastructure.
These factors suggest the emails are not a phishing attempt, which typically targets less tech-savvy individuals. The current marketing approach might stem from Microsoft's partnership with Best Buy, potentially indicating a mutually beneficial arrangement or a promotional effort to encourage new console sales through trade-ins.