Retail Rumor: Xbox Products Reportedly Pulled from Target and Walmart Shelves

A Reddit thread lit up this week with claims that Target and Walmart are “phasing out” Xbox consoles and accessories, allegedly due to low sales and shifting priorities. The post, made by a user claiming to be a Target employee, suggests that Xbox products are being pulled from physical shelves and may soon vanish from online listings as well. Cue the panic, the console war memes, and a whole lot of speculation.

But let’s slow down. Because while the post gained traction fast—racking up thousands of upvotes and sparking debates across gaming forums—there’s no official confirmation from either retailer. No press release. No internal memo. No corporate statement. Just one Reddit post, a few anecdotal replies, and a whole lot of “my store did the same thing.”

What the Reddit Post Actually Says

The Target I work for is no longer selling Xbox games.
byu/Jawwaad127 ingaming

The original poster claims that Target is removing Xbox consoles, controllers, and accessories from its planograms (the layout blueprints for store shelves). They say the decision is based on “low sales performance” and that PlayStation and Nintendo will remain stocked. A few self-identified Walmart employees chimed in to say they’ve seen similar shifts—less Xbox shelf space, fewer restocks, and vague internal chatter about “reallocating inventory.”

It’s worth noting: none of these claims are backed by screenshots, internal documents, or verified sources. It’s all anecdotal. And while anecdotal evidence can sometimes signal a trend, it’s not gospel.

Why This Rumor Hit So Hard

Xbox has had a weird year. Between studio closures, Game Pass recalibrations, and a quieter release slate compared to PlayStation’s blockbuster push, there’s a sense that Microsoft’s console strategy is in flux. So when a rumor like this drops, it hits a nerve—especially for fans who’ve seen Xbox lose shelf space before.

Retailers do adjust inventory based on performance. If Xbox hardware isn’t moving in certain regions, stores might shrink its footprint. But that’s a far cry from a full-scale removal. And without confirmation, it’s impossible to know whether this is a local decision, a regional test, or just Reddit doing what Reddit does best: speculating with confidence.

What to Watch

• No official statement from Target or Walmart as of October 12, 2025
• No change to Xbox listings on either retailer’s websites
• No confirmation from Microsoft about retail strategy shifts
• Reddit thread remains anecdotal, not verified

Until we see real receipts—literally or figuratively—this is just smoke. Maybe there’s fire behind it. Maybe it’s just a planogram reshuffle in a few underperforming stores. Either way, Xbox isn’t disappearing overnight. And if it does, you’ll hear it from more than a Reddit thread.

Let me know if you want this spun into a modular editorial arc—“Retail Rumors and Console Realities”—or paired with a breakdown of Xbox’s 2025 retail strategy.