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Well, we waited and waited and waited for the Xbox One reveal event, and now it looks like we're gonna wait some more to find out the Xbox One release price. Although Microsoft revealed a number of things during the Xbox One event, including Kinect features, a few launch titles, a Halo TV show and some impressive specs, they didn't give fans the one thing we care about most: price. The Xbox One release price will no doubt be hefty; I don't think a fan in the world expects a cheap Xbox One release date launch system. But how much should we expect the Xbox One release price to be?
According to Microsoft Insider Paul Thurrott, we can expect an Xbox One Release price of around $500 and, possibly, a $300 Xbox One release price that requires users to buy a two-year contract to Xbox LIVE.
"Durango's going to be expensive," said Thurrott on the What The Tech podcast. (Durango is the development code name for the next gen Xbox.) "500 bucks, 300 dollars for the subscription, that sort of thing."
The Xbox One release price will likely get revealed a few weeks ahead of its release date, which Thurrott believes will come in November. A November release makes sense as it puts the Xbox One release price out for consumers a few weeks ahead of the holiday shopping season. It's also been rumored that the rival PS4 will come out in October or November as well.
Will $500 be the final Xbox One release price? For the consumer lucky enough to get one, sure. There are already reports Microsoft is trying to step up production on the Xbox One because the company is worried it won't come close to meeting the demand or investor expectations. In fact, there were rumors surfacing last year that Microsoft was facing challenges producing the number of processors it needed to be ready for a retail launch this year, so an Xbox One release shortage could be a very real possibility.
And where there is a shortage, there will be eBay auctions.
When the Xbox 360 launched in November 2005, it retailed for $399-$299 depending on whether or not you bought a system bundled with a hard drive and a game or just the "core" system. However, there was tremendous demand for the system. I personally camped out in front of a best Buy for 18 hours and I was fourth in line. The Best Buy only had five systems in stock on launch day, a fact that was not advertised to the dozens of folks who lined up behind me throughout the night and early the next morning.
As a result, the eBay auction community drove up prices in the early days of the Xbox 360 launch. At their peak, most $399 packages were selling for around $600-$700, with some reaching as high as $1,750.
So, what will the Xbox One release price be? If history is any guide, it depends on when, and where, you get one. Don't be surprised to see online auctions in the four-figure range if Microsoft has a short supply.
Oh, and don't think that buying a PS4 will be any cheaper or easier. Odds are, the two systems will be priced close to one another and, when the PS3 launched for a $400-$600 retail price many ended up on eBay selling for hundreds more, Some PS3 launch systems auctioned off in the $3,000 range.
Bottom line: the Xbox One release price will be higher than advertised. Best case, it will cost you hours of your time if you're wiling to wait on a long line and take your chances in a lottery, or if you have money to burn, you could find someone on eBay who wants to be compensated for their time in line and their very good fortune. The Xbox One release price won't be cheap, but odds are, it will be worth it.
UPDATE
Microsoft's Xbox One is going to cost £399, if a retailer leak is to be believed.
Though Microsoft has just announced the Xbox One, it hasn't yet officially revealed the price of the next-gen Xbox.
UK-retailer Zavvi, however, has gone live with its pre-order scheme, revealing the price of the Xbox One in the UK to be £400.
Though this could be an estimate on Zavvi's part, it ties in with Paul Thurrott's claims that the Xbox One will cost around $500 in the US
The Xbox One is confirmed to be releasing this year, though a more specific date hasn't been provided. Microsoft will likely aim to release the Xbox One towards the end of 2013.
We'll have a look around at other retailers for possible price listings of the Xbox One, but the majority of websites offering a pre-order scheme aren't hinting at the price or release date at all.
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