For the third time since May, ahead of the Xbox Slim launch, Microsoft has once again reduced the price of Xbox One.
According to Forbes, the official price of the 500 GB Xbox One gaming console has dropped first to $299, then $279, to finally get now all the way down to $249. The new price came down to exactly half of the price tag of the Xbox One system bundled with the Kinect at launch, three years ago.
Major Nelson has announced the Xbox One price cut on Twitter. The $249 price tag covers a bundle that includes an Xbox One gaming console and a game (either Rare Replay, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza Motorsport 6, or Gear of War: Ultimate Edition), The new price cut will be valid for a "limited time," but it is unclear yet when exactly may expire.
To compare Xbox One's price with its rival's price, on Amazon an unbundled 500 GB PS4 sells at $339. A bundled version that includes the 500 GB PS4 and one game sells for a price of $349.
The price cut comes just over a week ahead of the launch of Microsoft's Xbox One Slim. A 2 TB version of the Xbox One S will come on the market on August 2 with a price tag of $399. It is still unknown when Microsoft will launch the $299 500 GB and $349 1 TB versions.
Once the Xbox One S will hit the market, this will mark Microsoft's rather odd rollout of three different models of its gaming console. Tech analysts expect that the bulky version of the console will be discontinued at some point.
According to The Verge, next year Microsoft will launch its new Xbox Scorpio gaming console. A more powerful version of the Xbox One announced by Microsoft at E3 alongside the Slim is also due to come on the market in fall 2017.
