Is XBOX series X really worth it?

I am sorry this happened to you. It meant a lot to you and your kids. One employee with bad information shouldn't sour you on the whole company though. We have been playstation users and switched to x box for this launch, because for us it is a better value.
Gampass beats playstation plus hands down and the console has more graphics power. We have a gaming PC in the house as well that I built during the pandemic. It is roughly $1000 in parts an nowhere close to what this console can do. To get something comparable,
you are looking at a minimum of $1200, liekly closer to $1500. That's IF you can get your hands on the new graphics cards. Their stock is way worse that the console situation even thought about getting.

I say take a deep breath, take a step back, and take a few days to think about what route you want to go.

I have a love hate relationship with the xbox brand. You want to know why XSX is so hard to find? Because they are attempting a world wide launch this time around. Some regions felt neglected last gen because Xbox focused on their bread winners first in
NA. Also, they are finally starting to get world wide appeal, In Japan they had more preorders in one day for the XSX then they sold for the entire life cycle of XB1. Im beyond pissed at MS right now but its confined in a small box of an angry fan boy rants
really. For starters, i ordered a XSX from the MS store on launch, they put a hold in my funds in the bank that very instant yet i wont be receiving the XSX for 6 weeks from their store and that caused me to miss out 20 mins later on a day one XSX from Target,
so i been ranting and raving around here for the last few days. Coming from a more realistic and sober perspective i'd say just stick with Xbox, heres why.

I say that because you're eventually going to be able to get your hands on an XSX. If you were to build a PC to equivalent specs you'd be spending $800-$1000 bucks. If you just use your current Xbix consoles in the mean time you're not missing out on any
exclusive games made just for XSX. You still got gamepass. And consoles are more family friendly then PC if ya all are going to play together. Also, PS5 is a weaker machine they overclocked and have to use liquid metal on the main chip to the heat sync to
leep the machine running cool to even compete with the XSX and those are going to be just as hard to find as a XSX. I have a feeling them PS5 are going to be melting in a few months plus they dont have gamepass. Microsoft's xbox division is trying a world
wide launch in rhe mist of the Covi. 19 pandemic. They may have bit off more then they can chew at the moment but after spending 7.5 trillion on Bethseade and Zenimax, one of my favorite developers of all times, the creators of the elder scrolls and fallout
serise plus an exciting new IP Star Field the future is bright with MS and Xbox. Do i fell loyal to them, hell no. They do everything they do to make money. Do i consider them as friends, no way. More like a street dealer who slangs my favorite drug which
is video games. They'll hussle you every chance they get, but so does Sony, PC makers and every other business trying to make money. Them jerks got me good with the launch of their XSX on Nov 10th through the MS store but thats still not enough to dicth them.
It would be counter productive for my own self intrest. Id say stick with them not because any misfounded belief of loyalty, rather because they have the best system, the best services and they will stop at nothing trying to be number one, thats what i love
about them, lol

You're right. I think since my kids are already disappointed, I might give Sony a try again (used to have both consoles until PS2) once the crazy demand dies down. I won't pay double for any console. I'd build my daughters their own custom gaming PC's
first and we can game together with discord and PC. Maybe not in the same room but then were not locked into any one device Maybe it's time to get rid of consoles all together.

The beauty of the graphics card situation is there isn't some item that my kids pay attention to that's being hyped. I can build a system when the card comes available without disappointed expectations.

simple answer, don't be loyal to any company, they are not loyal to the consumer.

you will only get real value from a product if you feel it has value to you.

all new release tech is always in short supply, this is sometimes on purpose to generate appeal but most of the time it is either not knowing how many to make upfront or that supplies are stretched and they just can't make enough in time.