Microsoft announced last week that there would be an E3 “Big Fun Deals” event starting June 7, which featured discounts on games, controllers, and Xbox hardware. It even included theXbox One X’s first official discount, dropping the price from $500 to $450. That discount went live as planned, and seems popular even though larger discounts are often seen at various retailers.
So it came as a major surprise that both GameStop and Fry’s no longer listed the $450 price for the Xbox One X, but instead an unannounced $350 price. It would, assumedly, come to that price via a $100 price drop, from $500 to $400, and then with an extra $50 off due to the E3 “Big Fun Deals” discount.
The link to the sale on GameStop’s website currently leads to the Xbox One X at the non-price dropped sales price of $450, and the Fry’s ad is for Sunday, June 10. So either both outlets made the exact same pricing error or one of Microsoft’s big E3 announcements just leaked.
Many industry insiders have predicted E3 2018 being a potentially pivotal moment for Microsoft and the Xbox. The company is likely in the best position it will ever be in to make up ground on the PlayStation 4. Wait another year to make a “move,” so to speak, and Sony mayannounce the PlayStation 5and steal the Xbox One X’s thunder.
But what would it take for Microsoft to execute such “move?” A line-up of awesome Xbox games is an obvious requirement, whichPhil Spencer is teasing is 15 games strong, but a price drop from the rather steep $500 price tag on the Xbox One X would definitely be a big deal, too. Today’s price drop leak may be indicative of a very exciting press conference from Microsoft tomorrow.
Microsoft’s Xbox E3 Briefingairs Sunday, June 10 at 1:00 pm PT.
