The Xbox Series X might cost consumers about $600, which would be the highest Xbox launch price in the console’s history. It could also lead Microsoft to make the same mistake Sony did over a generation ago with the PlayStation 3.
Fans are preparing for a possible early November launch, but there are still many questions up in the air, including price. However, a recent leak gives an idea of how much the Series X will cost.
Alanah Pearce, a gaming journalist, appeared on the Kinda Funny Xcast and mentioned a direct message she received suggesting the Series X’s will launch in November with a $600 price tag. Pearce said the message came from an anonymous retail employee and that it contained an image of the store’s “work screens.”
Alanah Pearce says someone sent her a photo from a retail store computer showing Xbox Series X price of $599 pic.twitter.com/etWxdhPtd3
— THE RED DRAGON (@TWTHEREDDRAGON) August 15, 2020
The price has not been confirmed by Microsoft yet. If it’s true, Microsoft is setting a new precedent for future Xbox consoles. Rumors have swirled regarding a possible Xbox Series S, which would be a disc-less but cheaper model. The original Xbox One, paired with the Kinect sensor, cost $500 at release, with the One S and One X later launching for $300 and $500, respectively.
A $600 price tag hindered the PlayStation 3’s 60 GB model at launch, which many viewed as overpriced, though the PS3 eventually rose above the Xbox 360 in sales years after release. It’s unclear if the Xbox Series X would elicit the same reaction over a decade later, given price inflation and the various technical improvements made over the years.
This leak also comes on the coattails of Halo Infinite‘s delay to 2021, which could be a deal-breaker for Halo fans and potential Xbox buyers. Halo Infinite was billed as the highlight of the Series X’s launch catalog.
There is equal speculation about the PlayStation 5’s price, with estimates ranging from $500 to $600, according to various leaks and predictions. The price of either console is a deciding factor for many looking forward to next-generation consoles so any cost difference could affect either console’s success at launch. Sony hasn’t confirmed the PS5’s exact launch date yet, though the Future of Gaming presentation offered a glimpse at the first-party content Microsoft will compete against.
