Judging by the hardware it’s packing, Microsoft’s next-gen console has got to cost $500 or more, right? Actually, it might be a lot cheaper than you’d think.
During a recent episode of Bonus Round (via Pure Xbox) with games journalist Geoff Keighley, Aaron Greenberg (GM, Xbox Games Marketing), and Peter Moore (former Dreamcast, EA, and Xbox executive), Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter claimed that Microsoft would be launching the Xbox Series X for just $400 this holiday.
Pachter’s reasoning is that Microsoft could take the financial hit, and pricing the console at that price point would effectively blunt the appeal of Sony’s PlayStation 5, which – according to recent news reports – seems destined to launch at a minimum of $500.
“Microsoft’s being pretty smart about waiting Sony out here. From what I’ve seen, Sony’s going to have to charge $500 for their PS5, and Microsoft has a big balance sheet – if they want to cut the price by $100, just price below and subsidize the first ten million, they will,” Pachter said.
“So, I think that they’re waiting to have Sony blink first, and then they’ll reveal the price and the launch date. It’s going to be holiday, so very likely sometime in November, very likely $400. And fans are going to get a lot from their $400.”
But regardless of price point, the Xbox Series X may remain a tough sell for PC gamers. This is mainly due to Microsoft’s own Play Anywhere initiative, which ensures that first-party exclusives are available on both Xbox and Windows 10 platforms. Would you be more inclined to buy a Series X if it launched at $400?