Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 price cut: $300 Elite on Friday; $250 Pro 'while supplies last'

by Christopher Grant on Aug 27th 2009 4:00AM

Surprising ... well, surprising exactly no one, Microsoft has announced a $100 price cut on its Xbox 360 Elite model, bringing the 120GB console down to price (if not feature) parity with Sony's recently revealed PS3 Slim. While the Elite will take the place of the 60GB Pro at $300 beginning this Friday (that's tomorrow!), the Pro will enjoy a temporary $50 price drop. We say "temporary" because, once those are sold out, that's it. The hard drive-less Xbox 360 Arcade unit remains at $200.

While this $300 Xbox 360 Elite may have a fancy new package (see above) it's the same ol' Elite inside the box. But the rest of the bundle isn't quite the same: taking a page out of Sony's PS3 handbook, this cheaper package ditches HD cables entirely (accessory sales ahoy!) in favor of bundling a standard AV connector. Want HDMI? Get thee to Monoprice.

Most disappointing is that Microsoft continues to leave WiFi out of the Xbox, a console that – more than any other – excels in the online department. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg told Joystiq, "We have not announced any change to our accessory pricing as part of this announcement." In other words, the WiFi adapter is not only missing from the console but, at $100, it's still insultingly expensive. Despite our misgivings about some of Microsoft's cost control measures, a $100 price drop on the 120GB Elite is nevertheless a welcome change ...

... even if it's just (barely) keeping pace with Sony's WiFi-packing, Blu-ray having PS3 Slim. Look for more from our chat with Greenberg later today.

Xbox 360 Elite / Arcade Bundles (August 2009)

The Xbox 360 Elite price cut?
It's time to Jump In!	845 (9.4%)
I've already jumped in. I can't jump in any further!	3215 (35.7%)
No Blu-ray? No WiFi? And you still want $300?	4948 (54.9%)

Tags: business, microsoft, price-cut, Xbox-360, xbox-360-arcade, xbox-360-elite, xbox-360-pro

Reader Comments (186)

Making the Pro $250 while the initial PS3 Slims go on sale is a strategic move. A $300 Elite seems equal to a $300 PS3 Slim.

Im sorry, but in terms of what your getting out of box, I don't see how the elite is equal to the slim. The slim has:
-Blu ray
-rechargable batteries without the need for a play n charge kit.
-WiFi
-Standard HDD that you can easily swap.

I may sound like a fanboy at the moment, but the slim does give you the best bang for your buck. For the record, I own all three systems, and enjoy the PS3 and xbox very much. The Wii sits there and collects dust.

the PS3>360 in terms of power, value, and longevity.

360>PS3 in terms of the sheer amount of owners, games and profitability.

It's pretty friggin obvious, but people still don't seem to understand.

"the PS3>360 in terms of power, value, and longevity."
Funny thats why almost all multiplatform games favor the 360..

"360>PS3 in terms of the sheer amount of owners, games and profitability."
Err.. wow your dumb... 360 has FAR more users, FAR more games, and 360 makes money on every console, unlike sony who loses money on every console...

"It's pretty friggin obvious, but people still don't seem to understand."
People understand, it seems like your the one in the dark.

@Joystiq, you guys take every chance you can to start shit with your xbox articles, just like the megan fox article. "Gold members only!!"... No shit, just like every other play with celebs event there has been since the 360 came out, theres no need to point it out.

@Yamaguchi

> means "greater than"

you just corrected the guy who was making your point, chief. nice work.

"> means "greater than"

you just corrected the guy who was making your point, chief. nice work."

Lmao its 8am, i just woke up less than a half hour ago im tired >_>

Yamagushi, remember the crocodile always wants to eat the bigger number.

@B3astofthe3ast: Have fun if that internal battery in the PS3 controller ever quits holding a charge. I'll take removable batteries over internal ones any day.

@ Jimbotron

LOL, have fun being ripped off. I'll take internal batteries over removable ones any day.

Coming from someone who only owns a 360, I can tell you that 'value' is an illusion. Let me explain: 299-core system
-100- additional 20g HD as they were out of pro models In my town for months after I came out
-30- wired mic

-90-wifi
-60- wireless mic after I was sick of my malfunctioning wired whcih gave off a constant feedback sound in my ear
-50- HD cables
200- new arcade system... My already replaced console rrod'd after 3 years... Out of luck I guess
+75- some guy who bought the broken system on eBay

B3astofthe3ast is corrrect and plus with the Xbox you have to pay for Live membership. I'll pass until the Elite is $250.

@Jimbotron

I've got my PS3 controller since 2007 and playing my system almost all the time and still holding a charge. All you gotta do is take care of your controller by not overcharging it, once its done charging unplug it and thats it.

I know at least 3 friends are getting the PS3 Slim now that it's $299. It's the best deal, and with Uncharted 2 coming out really soon, I gotta get that too.

Apples > Oranges

After spilling a ton of soda on my PS3 controller and taking it apart to properly clean it, I can confidently say that the PS3 controller battery is easily replaceable (I just don't know if they sell replacements). It takes one normal (small) screwdriver, nothing fancy. No Geniune MS stickers to crack, no security Torx to modify, nothing. The battery just sits on the back of the main circuit board connected by a slide-in-and-out connector.

Jimbotron:

The Sixaxis can operate for up to 30 hours on a full charge. The battery was originally not thought to be replaceable when a Sony spokesperson stated that the Sixaxis should operate for "many years before there's any degradation in terms of battery performance. When and if this happens, then of course Sony will be providing a service to exchange these items".[3] Later, it was revealed that the Sixaxis came with instructions on how to remove the battery and that the battery was fully removable

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/ps3-sixaxis-controllers-battery-is-kinda-replaceable-214144.php

So you see we get Li-ion batteries and they are replaceable now please shut up about replaceable batteries, if the xbox360 had the same sort of batteries I bet you would be extolling its benefits like the retarded hypocritical fanatic you are.

Which is better digital cameras with lion batteries or digital cameras with aa batteries ? Which costs more ? which one would you prefer to have ? Just shows how stupid your point is.

it all comes down to: are you playing games or are you watching movies

Ah... The "PS3>360 in terms of power" argument... That's laughable. If you knew anything about the systems, the PS3 holds one advantage over the 360 "in terms of power"... And that's it's ability to process complex code such as AI and physics- when it's not doing much else, that is. Otherwise, they're dead nuts even, and the 360 has a better GPU, which has far more rendering power than the RSX.

The facts are the facts, and I don't care if I get downranked or whatever. I have sources and can back what I say up, unlike everyone else spouting crap.

mr clickerson and thats why practically every publisher has said the xbox360 has peaked and they can get more out of the ps3 still..

GIve me a game on the xbox 360 that compares to killzone2 or compares to the upcoming uncharted 2, or even to gran turismo prologue (thats 1080p dont forget) or the upcoming god of war 3. Proof is in the pudding and the ps3 has already proven its more powerful..

@B3astofthe3ast

i would agree, but the Elite does have a built in headset. i don't have a bluetooth headset, and nobody i know does.

I'm not entirely sure if people want to jump in a red ring OF DEATH! I wouldn't want to.

How do you breathe with your head up your arse?

Really seriously???? I'm no big fanboy but have you not heard of the Jasper Xbox 360's? Are you so blind and stupid that you have to believe some survey that probably interviewed people with falcon and earlier chipsets. The RROD occurrence rate has been reduced with the Jasper so I don't know why you should go on about this.

I'm sorry but he forgot to mention e74 error

Gotta admit it was kinda funny. :)

I honestly don't care if wifi isn't included in the package. Just lower the fucking accessory to the $10 it's worth!!

Including Wi-fi would make the people like me who have a 360 complain that we didn't get one, so microsoft are kind of stuck and not able to put wi-fi in the package. Though I do agree that the Wi-fi and hard drive are expensive.

Well, with that logic, every Xbox 360 Pro and Xbox 360 Elite owner should be just as mad.

Or just turn a $10 router into a wireless bridge. The 360 wifi adapter is nice though, its dual-band supporting the rarer 5 ghz band that doesn't interfere with everything, assuming you have a compatible router.

as another commenter previously explained, the 360 wifi adapter is 802.11a/b/g, which is more expensive than 802.11b/g adapter like that in the PS3. they're still overcharging a bit though, and they should just drop 802.11a support and make it cheaper.

your you can buy an HDMI cable from amazon for a F*cking penny! ( not including shipping obviously :P )

I love my 360 but they really need to make playing online free or drop the Gold fee too.

here here!

hear hear

Honestly I'm beginning to question the validity of a 50$ fee year after year. Think about how many ads there are for every brand you can think of plastered all over the dashboard....ie: "Axe body spray presents: fallout 3 tipS" I know that's not real but still before the nxe xbl was relatively add-free. So they're just gouging us despite the added profit from advertising. There should be a website that asks questions about these types of injustices.... And maybe get some answered as opposed to starting a flame war based on console value... I mean come on

you mean a website like... Joystiq?

$100 for a Wi-Fi adapter, $45 a year to play online, and $120 to upgrade the hard drive to just 120 GB and the PS3 is the expensive console? Yikes.

I just use an ethernet cable, buy a 12 month gold sub once a year when it is on sale, and you get a 120 gb hard drive with this elite.

@Damian Ditto.

Better to know that everyone has a headset on the 360 and you don't have to wait for the mandatory installs to finish before playing a game like you do on the ps3.

"Better to know that everyone has a headset on the 360"

You talk like that's a good thing. That just means I know for 100% fact that every game I get into is going to either have a racist punk ass kid, or some wigger or fake gangsta with the vocabulary of an 8 year old talking non-stop.

@tmacairjordan87
That's only if you don't have any friends or can't find groups of people who share your standards of communication.

@ featurepreacher

Are those mandatory installs really such a big deal? Are you really so excited when you get a new game that it kills you to wait 5 or 10 more minutes? And you make it sound like every game has them, which they don't.

@Hife
As those installs start to eat up more and more of your drive's space they start to become a big deal. Not all ps3 games have a mandatory install, just most of them. I guess they're not a problem if you play one game every 6 months or so. But if you switch between games, it can get quite annoying.

@FeaturePreacher

That sounds like it'd be more of a problem for the Xbox 360 users when games require an install since their 120 GB hard drives are at least $100 whereas PS3 users can buy a 500 GB hard drive for the same price.

(If no or very few Xbox 360 games require an install, ignore this post.)

They should have gotten rid of the arcade, and kept the Pro as the new lower level Xbox 360.

Agreed. Microsoft is really screwing up and starting to no longer look like the console to choose if you want a good deal.

why would MS get rid of the console that scams you?

sure 200 dollars sounds pleasing, till you find out how much it costs just for a simple HDD or WiFi add on, suddenly its the same price as a PS3 with it bulit in STANDARD and blu ray movie player.

Had lower-end model been called "Pro" that would have automatically lowered the status of "Elite" brand.

Arcade and Elite brands complement each other well.

And I expect with time (as components are getting cheaper) Arcade's package would eventually get more in line with Pro.

@FeaturePreacher: "Also, it's quite weird to say the 360 isn't keeping pace with the ps3, especially with how 360 games haven't needed patches to match the ps3 version but the ps3 needed patches to match the 360 version, i.e. Ghostbusters and Bioshock."

ummmmm whats sad about that is the PS3 was the LEAD Console and the PS3 version was admittedly dumbed down as to not outshine the 360 version too much.....thing is they OVER dumbed it down....

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Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 price cut: $300 Elite on Friday; $250 Pro 'while supplies last'

Xbox 360 Elite / Arcade Bundles (August 2009)

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