Xbox One Price Drop Returns

Although Microsoft was already headed for a solid year thanks to the launch of the Xbox One in late 2013, the last 12 months were especially successful after the company knocked $50 off bundle prices for their new console. The move was so popular, in fact, that many expected the $350 price to stick after the holidays, but on January 3rd the price went back up as Microsoft promised.

However, now that Microsoft has had some time to step back and look at the numbers, they have seen that this past holiday season was a great one. According to Microsoft, the Xbox One was the best-selling current-gen platform throughout the months of November and December, beating both PS4 and Wii U during that span.

As a result, Microsoft has decided to bring back their $349 Xbox One price promotion at all retailers and it goes live today. It’s worth mentioning, though, that Microsoft is still calling this a promotion, meaning that this is not an official price drop and the price may eventually go back up whenever Microsoft sees fit.

After news of Xbox One’s strong holiday sales first surfaced, most figured that Microsoft would keep the $349 price, so it’s no surprise to see them bring it back. Microsoft’s strong sales also urged Sony to drop the PS4 price at certain retailers, but eventually it went back up.

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Now that Microsoft has pulled the trigger on a non-holiday price drop, the question now becomes whether Sony will follow suit. There’s no denying that the PS4 had the stronger start, but now that the Xbox One is gaining ground it might be in Sony’s best interest to see how a price drop helps their case. Then again, the Xbox One price cut was seen as somewhat of a desperation move, whereas Sony is by no means in need of catching up to anyone.

We expected that with this new current-gen console war we might see faster back and forths than ever before, and this latest move seemingly proves it. Whereas price drops and position changes used to be calculated 6-month decisions, now they are coming on much faster to meet the competition. It’s not about slashing the price at E3; it’s about slashing it as soon as possible.

How long before Microsoft makes this $350 price tag permanent for Xbox One? How much longer after that before the PS4 has its own price drop promotions?

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Source: Xbox