Getting an Xbox Series X is currently as difficult a process as getting a PS5. Not only do you have to compete with thousands of other desperate customers, but you are also at a considerable disadvantage against an army of greedy duffers and their sophisticated bots.

Still, I managed to pull it off, and learned a very important lesson in the process: set up your payment information in advance. Here's how I beat the odds to get an Xbox Series X at Walmart, and how you can do the same.

I've had the Xbox Series X for a little over a month now, and it's certainly a beautiful console with a great game library; whether you really need an Xbox One (or Xbox One X) instead is a fair question, but whether you buy it now or in a few months, it's a great I think it's a great buy.

However, you can't always wait a few months to buy a console, especially if you're trying to gift it to someone. My partner recently received an urgent mission call: her cousin wanted an Xbox Series X, and she knew it would be nothing short of a miracle to get it within the next week. My cousin wanted an Xbox Series X and knew it would be nothing short of a miracle to find one within a week.

First, I have to come clean: tech journalists have no special access to next-generation gaming consoles other than receiving review units. If I wanted to buy an Xbox Series X, I would have the same chances as anyone else.

That's when Luis Ramirez came to my rescue. Luis is the group senior editor in charge of deals for Tom's Guide, but "senior wizard" might be more accurate. He is right on the money when it comes to restocking game consoles, and he told me that Walmart was restocking at 3 p.m. EST; Walmart has some scammer-proofing measures in place, which I had to at least try.

At 3 p.m., I placed my finger on F5, hovered over where "Add to Cart" would appear, and was ready to go. Refreshing Walmart's Xbox Series X page, I saw the promised blue button. Clicking "Add to Cart" brought up a message that the item was sold out between the time the page refreshed and the mouse clicked. After all, the 3:00 p.m. arrival time was less than 10 seconds.

Still, I decided to try again at 3:10 PM because Walmart was going to sell the Xbox Series X in three 10-minute intervals. This time, I told myself, I would get it this time. As the computer clock struck 3:09:55, I hit F5. at exactly 3:10, I hit "Add to Cart." This time it worked. There was an Xbox Series X in my shopping cart. All I had to do was enter my shipping and payment information.

Shipping the console to an entirely new address took a little longer than expected because I was paying with my own credit card that was tied to my home address. Still, since I was already on the payment screen, I figured my console was safe.

A few minutes later, when I tried to confirm my order, I learned that my console was not secure. While I was rechecking my cousin's address, Walmart had sold the Xbox to another customer. I can only hope that it was a real person looking forward to getting it, and not an unscrupulous reseller.

I got my last chance at 3:20 PM. I had saved my cousin's address in my Walmart profile, as well as my own billing address and credit card information. When it was time to place the order, I clicked "Add to Cart" and immediately clicked "Proceed to Checkout." I confirmed my order and received my receipt via email a few minutes later.

By storing the shipping and billing information in advance, I saved a few precious seconds in the checkout process. And those seconds were indeed valuable, as the entire shipment of Xbox Series X units sold out in less than a minute during each short sales period.

If you take the time to fill out the checkout information, you never know if another retailer will save your items, but you don't have to take that risk. If you know that a retailer is going to have a console in stock, fill out all the relevant account information in advance. At best, it will help them get the system; at worst, it will save you a step anyway.

My advice to console hunters is the same as before: if you can, hold off for now and play through the backlog of current consoles. (Remember, the Xbox Series X has no true exclusives at the moment. In the meantime, PC or Xbox One will have to suffice.) But if you still want to try your luck in the retailer lottery, have an account ready with shipping and billing information. That could be the difference between getting a console or walking away empty-handed.