Xbox Series X price just leaked — and it's great news for PS5
The Xbox Series X could cost $599 when it launches in November
We're learning a lot about the Xbox Series X as we approach its November launch. In fact, at this point, there is very little we don't know about the next-gen console.
But for all we've learned, there still remains one big question looming over Microsoft's next major release: its price. Rumors and speculation have priced the Series X at as low as $300 and up to $1,000. Based on a new lead, the console will cost somewhere between those values — but more than what some gamers anticipated.
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- Xbox Series S: Rumors, release date, price, specs, and what we want
Twitter user @THTHEREDDRAGON posted a video of respected YouTuber and journalist Alanah Pearce stating that an anonymous source who works at a retail store sent her a "picture of their work screens" showing the price of the Xbox Series X at $599.
Alanah Pearce says someone sent her a photo from a retail store computer showing Xbox Series X price of $599 pic.twitter.com/etWxdhPtd3August 15, 2020
Analysts have pinpointed the price to be between $499 and $599 so if this is true, it would put the Xbox Series X on the higher end of the spectrum. It's certainly not exorbitant but it's not cheap, either.
That $599 starting price would, however, crush any hope of Microsoft low-balling Sony this time around. The company had promised to not make the same mistakes that it did with the Xbox One — chief among those was charging $100 more than Sony did with the PS4. And while that still might be the case, it doesn't look like the Series X will undercut the PS5 (there is no way that Sony will charge more than $599 for the PS5...right?).
Microsoft will be harshly criticized if the Xbox Series X costs more than PS5 after what happened in the previous generation. And that is regardless of whether the Xbox Series X is the more powerful console, which it appears to be at this point.
It's important to remember that Microsoft is expected to announce a lower-cost version of its next-gen console, the Xbox Series S. What might justify a $599 price for the Series X is that there needs to be a big enough price gulf between the two systems to justify the cheaper model, which could come in at $399 or lower.
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As with all rumors, you should take this latest one with a grain of salt. The price of the Xbox Series X remains a moving target full of variables, from the possible effects of the coronavirus to ensuring that it remains competitive with the PS5.
If you're also wondering when the Xbox Series X will be released (without Halo Infinite, need I remind you), we have some pretty confident answers. Microsoft confirmed a November release date before Sega all but confirmed the specific day to be November 13 (although November 6 is another possibility). That means you have just under a month to scrounge up $599 or wait for the Series S.
Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.