XBOX 360 reduced to £129 cheapest console but can it beat the PS3 this Christmas

Posted: September, 26 2008

The entry level version of the popular Microsoft games console, the Xbox 360 has had it’s price slashed recently, in an all out battle to beat the Playstation 3 (PS3) in the early Christmas sales push - the cheapest xbox 360 is now advertised at £129! That puts it at about £50 less than the cheapest Nintendo Wii and a staggering £140 less than the cheapest PS3.

As reported by Gamer News, Microsoft spoke about possible reductions only last week for the UK, and it seems these actions have already started to take effect.

Continuing the global trend for console price cuts, Microsoft today announced the UK would be next in landing a reduced price Xbox 360 range.

Reductions across the range

Arcade unit will now retail at £129.99 - down from £159.99.
Premium bundle containing the 60GB hard drive will drop from £199.99 to £169.99, while the
Elite version will weigh it at £229.99 - previously £269.99.

Xbox 360 has now sold over 20 million consoles worldwide and due to its unprecedented success, we are now able to pass on the rewards of that success to the consumer with a new retail pricing from £129.99

, said Neil Thompson, Senior Regional Director, Microsoft UK.

With more games, more entertainment with Xbox LIVE and now even more value, we are looking forward to welcoming more customers into the leading Next Generation console, Xbox 360.

So is it all wrapped up for Microsoft this Christmas?

With this bold move by Microsoft they just maybe able to beat sales for the PS3 this Christmas, however now that the HD-DVD format is well and truly dead, the PS3 still remains the only viable option for a High defintion Movie player (in the form of Blu Ray) and Games console combined. The question is, does a Blu Ray DVD player appeal to you at an additional £140?

It really is too early to tell, but Microsoft have certainly put the ball firmly back in Sonys court, if the past teaches us anything, it’s that Sony relish the opportunity for a fight and usually comes out on top, so with their hand yet to play, it’s still very much on for the Christmas console war.