It's official! Microsoft announces North American Xbox 360 price cuts, $199 Arcade

by Dustin Burg { Sep 3rd 2008 at 5:15PM }

After months and months of rumors, speculation, leaked adscans and insider whispers, Microsoft just announced that the Xbox 360 price cut rumors are, in fact, true. Beginning this Friday, September 5th the retail pricing for Xbox 360 consoles in the US will drop to all time lows. The new console pricing puts the Xbox 360 Arcade at $199 (cheaper than the Wii!), the 60GB Xbox 360 Pro at $299 and the Xbox 360 Elite at $399. Remember though, this is only for the US as any other territories (Europe, Australia, etc.) have yet to announce any console price cuts. We can now also pretty much debunk that motion controlled Arcade bundle rumor. Happy shopping!

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

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Zeus.:God @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:24PM

I'm going to be buying an Elite since my launch Pro's disc drive failed (even after frequent relubrication when the spindle got stuck)- shouldn't have broken the Microsoft seal... Anyway, does anyone know if the Elite comes with a transfer cable for game saves?

PeacefulOutrage @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:32PM

I believe if you call MS they will send you one free. I haven't bought one, so I couldn't tell you, although the stand-alone has a cable with it.

psychohog @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:32PM

It does not but you can get them for free from the xbox.com site. I just received mine after waiting about 9 days after I sent my request. Not too bad.

philmcphail @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:27PM

Yeah, send that puppy in (for repairs) and wait for the 360 Hard Drive's inevitable price drop! I mean its $179.99 now for the HDD and its $199.99 for the arcade system (from the drop). If you wanted the Elite for more memory, I think Microsoft will soon cut the Hard Drive in half.

Zeus.:God @ Sep 5th 2008 1:00AM

That's the thing- my Microsoft seal is broken. Their policies have changed so that when the MS seal is broken, they won't repair it at all, not even with a fee like before when I broke the seal to clean the insides. I was told it was ok, broke the seal, and years on down, the policies change- just my luck.

Saeth @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:25PM

It's about time...

AshTR @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:27PM

Yay confirmed price drop! Now those wanting to buy a Jasper 360 like me just need to figure out a definite time when they come out.

Sean @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:56PM

I'm in the same boat. Still waiting for confirmation that there are jasper's out in stores now.

jorgiex @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:30PM

I felt the price drop coming (if not looming) around the time the PS3 was upgrading it's system to an 80GB HDD for 399.99. I didn't think we would get it so soon, but BAM..here it is. 399.99 for an Elite with 120Gb HDD, wireless black controller, "INCLUDED" HDMI and Component/Composite cable so no matter how you wanna connect your system you have all of the wires right out of the box. This is great news for New XBox buyers.

Saeth @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:30PM

Congrats MS for winning the September-December NPDs

erico316 @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:37PM

lol its need more then a price cut to win the npds.did we forget they lost npd numbers when they drop it the last time .its the games that sell the system is so far the ps3 had the best line up.360 is second with its line up and i dont even know what the wii had this year .

Tony @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:47PM

I think it's more that the PS3 had a good Spring/early Summer line-up while the 360's was practically nonexistent.

It'll be interesting to see if that keeps up around the holidays... but either way, it's still going to take the PS3 forever to catch up to the US sales of the 360 if they're only beating it in the NPD by 20,000 to 50,000 units a month.

Metal_Gear @ Sep 4th 2008 7:15AM

"Winning" the next 4 months NPDs? ...when did Nintendo stop selling the Wii?

JBurton @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:40PM

Well my 360 just one-redringed and its out of warranty. I could spend 99 on repairs...

Or...

I could spend another hundred. Get a 256MB memory card (easy travel of GT and Arcade games, wireless controller, and 5 XBLA games (2 I have though), and a brand new 3 year warranty.

Ill just stick my old 20GB hard drive on and ill be set!

definitstylez @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:57PM

Yeah, my launch 360 just got the E74 error too.

I'll be picking up a new Arcade model, and slapping on my ol' 20GB HDD on it.

On a side note, why now buy the Elite? Because it's black and it comes with an HDMI cable? Couldn't you buy an Arcade and the stand alone 120GB HDD ($199 + $179 < $399)? Unless your getting the Bundle with Forza 2 & Marvel Ultimate Alliance, it seems like the Elite isn't worth it.

Saeth @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:36PM

Hah, I was just thinking about the exact thing...

Just buying a new Arcade is a better buy I think

Shape @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:22PM

How could you be out of warranty? The 360 launched in November, 2005. It hasn't been 3 years, yet.

nxtiak @ Sep 4th 2008 8:37AM

@Shape Three year warranty is ONLY for 3 red rings. Any other problems, warranty is only 1 year.

Dale @ Sep 4th 2008 10:43AM

The Arcade comes with a 512MB memory card... doesn't it?

Jonah Falcon @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:41PM

I have an extra 20 GB HD, so a $200 360 is tempting as a second one.

Sexiest man ever @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:47PM

I almost bought a 360 back in late 07' until all my friend's 360's died(RRod). My friend bought one and it had TWO Red-ringers! So I decided to buy a PS3...the 360 must be one hell of a system that people are OK that there system breaks and will just buy another..

jarhead906 @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:26PM

Its mainly the software that keeps these crazy people using their Xbox 'Please-Fix-Me's. Even though the majority of the software had once been overhyped significantly. Can anyone tell me the specs of the Arcade Bundle?

Mrblonde @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:26PM

Very few systems get the RROD now. The ones that are circulating through stores now have a very low chance of getting it. I have only got it once and it was with my launch system. I put my previous xbox before I bought an elite in the freezer overnight and it still worked.

Doug @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:23PM

My friend got RRoD on a system he bought 8 months ago. It can still happen if you keep the 360 inside a poorly ventilated cabinet.

chefgon_ign @ Sep 4th 2008 7:30AM

It was the exact same story with the PS2 last gen. Those things were breaking left and right, but people just went to the store and bought a new one because they had already invested in a game library. If you switch systems, you've just lost a ton of money on games.

cranium @ Sep 4th 2008 4:48PM

yah it breaks more than it should but its still got a killer lineup and microsoft takes responsibility for the red rings. two of my friends have had faulty ps3's and were forced to pay for repairs.

to each his own,i guess

wrxpertz @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:51PM

Dose the 60 come with HDMI?

Deezul @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:42PM

No. Only one that comes with HDMI is the Elite. I don't think the Halo 3 special edition did either. I've still seen those.. Any price drop on them?

Ian @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:45PM

Actually they ALL have HDMI now. Just only the Elite comes with an HDMI cable.

J Blank @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:56PM

this is what im talkin about!

joeybeast @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:57PM

199, ain't that the magical price?

profsr Chaos @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:26PM

Sweet! But they shoulda bundled the wifi for an extra bit

Brian @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:21PM

yeah my launch pro got e74 like 2 weeks ago so i bought a arcade since i new the drop was coming and because best buy is nice enough to do price matches. so il be getting 80 bucks back in pocket soon. hooray

cruel cynic @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:31PM

Nothing but good news for the industry.

stjohnob @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:36PM

I'm just pissed because I bought my 360 pro on July 31st. It's now past the 30 day period where I can return it, and now the Pro is 60GB. Dang it!!

hiphop1slife @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:40PM

this price drop sounded nice to me but everybody is talkin about theirs gettin bricked.

why do you 360 owners keep buying 360 if it keeps breaking? sounds like a faulty product.

ill stick to my wii and ps3

Mr Bunky @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:09PM

It's because the xbox 360 is a great gaming machine and worth even buying a 2nd time compared to an over priced blu ray player with no games and a waggle machine.

jarhead906 @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:35PM

It IS a faulty product. That doesn't mean you won't have fun playing the software designed for it though. And, by the way, the 'waggle machine' (a.k.a. Sixaxis) was merely a short-termed substitution for Rumble support due to Sony's legal ordeals with Immersion (Dualshock 3's are of a much better quality). Also, the fanboy comments (irony) like: '$600 internet browser/paper weight/blu-ray player' and 'no good games' really has no value at this point in time, considering the PS3 has outsold the 360 countless times this year, EA's largest profit margin came from the PS3, and a lot more developers are using it as the lead platform. Oh and heavy hitters like Bioshock are coming to PS3 later this year, and is more than likely going to be BETTER than the 360 version. Im not (yes I am) a fanboy, I just like to point out facts.

Eddie @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:46PM

Stick to whatever the hell you want. We keep buying because MS keeps fixing. You can't send in your PS3 to Sony and have them load a decent online experience with games worth playing (yeah, I said it, cause it's my comment and my opinion) onto it in two weeks.

Mr Bunky @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:48PM

Well a game coming out on the PS3 a year later is expected to look better than the 360. It's not anything to brag about considering if Bioshock had another year in development on the 360 it would look better as well.

The PS3 IS an overpriced gaming machine. I don't want a Blu Ray player and the cheapest offering they have is $400 compared to the 360's $200. Now I am a 360 fanboy, but I may down the road get a PS3. As of right now, I can't justify spending that much money for only a few good must have games. Lower the PS3 price to $299 and give me some new killer titles and then we'll talk.

jarhead906 @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:07PM

Guys guess what! We came to the conclusion that both systems have their pros and cons! Aren't we awesome?! (E.L.E. = Everybody Love Everybody)

SurfMurph @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:56PM

All Xbox editions come with an HDMI port now. The Elite also includes an HDMI cable.

Christopher Robin @ Sep 5th 2008 6:25PM

yes! Mine was getting old already! Upgrade! i'll just add on my hardrive. Time to do a victory dance!

Cyberkinetic @ Sep 4th 2008 1:02AM

@hiphop1slife..my console is at the red ring repair center at this very moment....its next destination? EBAY.

Andrew @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:12PM

Awesome! Let me ask you, why did you buy an Xbox 360 if you were just going to sell it on eBay after a failure? You had to have known that there was a good chance that it could fail. There's no way you're going to get full price for the thing on eBay, so now you've just flushed some money in the toilet.