How to find an Xbox One this holiday season

So you didn't pre-order an Xbox One at launch, didn't find one during Black Friday, and couldn't snag one during Cyber Monday — yes, it's going to be hard to find Microsoft's next-gen console in time for the holidays. But not all hope is lost.

While we'll do our best to let you know when new shipments of Xbox One consoles arrive, or when there is a particular deal going on, there are a few tips and tricks you can do yourself to give you an edge this holiday season. Thankfully, Microsoft has made note of them in their latest blog post.

• Sign up for email newsletters and alerts from your favorite retailers and follow them on Twitter and Facebook for real-time updates.
• Call your local retailers to find out which day of the week they receive shipments. You can check in each week to see if they have new stock.
• Use retailers’ online stock checkers to find a store with Xbox One in stock near you, although we recommend calling to confirm.
• Check with stores outside of densely populated areas – you may have more luck in smaller locations.

There's also a few tracking sites to let you know when the Xbox One is back in stock.

• XboxOneLocator
• NowInStock

And if that doesn't work, monitor social media. Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb and even other Xbox fans have been pretty active on social media sites and letting others know where the best deals can be found. People helping people, that's what I like to see.

The Xbox One launched on November 22 in 13 different markets. It sold out immediately and continues to sell out at a rapid pace in which demand far exceeds supply. Microsoft has yet to reveal specific numbers, but earlier today the company confirmed — perhaps in response to Sony — that the Xbox One is experiencing "record breaking sales."