Xbox 360 price cut coming on September 5 -- Arcade now $199

It wasn't any secret that the Xbox 360 was getting a price cut in the next week or so, and now it's official -- Major Nelson just confirmed that as of September 5th, the Arcade will be $199, the Pro will be $299, and the Elite will be $399. No motion controller, goofy Live starter pack, or tweaked controller to be found, but we're not arguing with price cuts.

Update: Here's the Microsoft press release.

[TF @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:18PM]

You can get em right now at this price!

Elite $399.99
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7460996/color/3

Pro $259.99
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7460998/color/632

Arcade $199.99
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7460995/color/14

[cypherstream @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:09PM]

Wow what a rediculous price difference between the Elite and the Pro...
Elite $399.99 vs Pro $259.99. $140 for a friggen black case and 120 GB hard drive. I could get a 750GB hard drive at TigerDirect for $99. Storage is so cheap today, why are they 1)skimpy on the hard drive or 2)heavy on the price ?

Want people to buy it, then price it accordingly.

[Steve A. @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:52PM]

cypherstream:

While you're correct that the cost of hard drive storage is dropping rapidly, they are using a 2.5 inch laptop drive. Agreed that they're ripping you off regardless, they can't fit a 750 gig drive in the current, attached form-factor.

Also, the elite also includes a HDMI cable, with aren't too cheap, and a headset, which adds to the value. Overall, I think the price difference should be closer to $80 between an elite and pro, but at least this is an improvement compared to the current $150 price dif.

[nohone @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:57PM]

@cypherstream

... and a HDMI cable, and a headset, and Forza 2, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. You get a lot more with the Elite.

[Josh Warner @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:06PM]

Don't give the HDMI cable too much credit. This $5.39 one works just as well as Monster Cable's 20x overpriced crap:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270003

[eiki @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:35PM]

TF, two of the three products you listed are out of stock, doesn't look promising!

[A-lo @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:19PM]

Forget Palin. Will happened to Jasper?

[Mike @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:20PM]

Such a shame it was leaked early, they had nothing to announce at the show after that!

[dennis @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:23PM]

Do you mean this is just an announcement about how to get Netflix and the new Microsoft Live update and a gaming and media streaming platform for less money than Apple TV?

[Ashwin Jadhav @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:21PM]

I thought I had seen them with these prices at Walmart this past Saturday?

[kjb434 @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:54PM]

There's that Wal-Mart again. Lowering prices for customers........Haha

[Co1e @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:22PM]

How much for the 60gb hdd alone? 120gb?

[Neil @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:26PM]

This is the question no one seems to have an answer to. *sigh*

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:10PM]

I can tell you this much: disgustingly more than a non-360 HDD of equal or greater capacity.

[Andy @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:29PM]

150 for the 120gb. Almost as much as the console. And twice or thrice as much as it should be.

[Zinger314 @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:23PM]

The Xbox 360 is now cheaper than the Wii. How ironic.

[maveric101 @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:37PM]

i know. how can you argue with the 360 at this point?

-larger game selection
-better games
-better online (don't even whine about "it costs moneeeeey....")
-Media Center Extender
-other awesome features
-and now, lower price

i'm only a little biased...

[HAZE @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:25PM]

Are they RROD-proof yet?

[Neil @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:30PM]

No one can guarantee electronic devices wont break, so why ask?

[Zeus.:God @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:43PM]

Are hamsters microwave proof?

The world may never know...

[kal326 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:54PM]

@ZeusGod
The better question is where is the hamster proof microwave? You know how hard it is to get fur out of those thin little slots?

[HAZE @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:59PM]

I ask because it was an admitted design flaw by Microsoft that ALL 360s were guaranteed 100% to fail due to overheating. I'm asking if 1. They are subject to overheating and 2. If they are covered under the 3 year warranty.

[Ruben @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:06PM]

First of all, you pulled that 100% number out of your ass. The failure percentages were exaggerated.

And no, it’s not RROD proof, but its more RROD resistant than it ever was. That has been the case for more than a year now.

But if you’re still worried about RROD, then don’t buy one. We don’t want bitchy people on Live anyways. There’s enough of those.

[a @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:48PM]

Nope. Judging from my ASIC designing friends who are getting pestered by headhunters to join MS. People with Power and cooling expertise to work on XBOX360 specifically.

[usedbert @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:27PM]

I know this announcement doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, but I'm glad Microsoft finally owned up to it after so many rumors and ad scans. Also, whats with Major Nelson confirming price cuts, and no press release or no other official announcement. I don't know if anyone else feels this way but I think Major Nelson is kind of a Joke, and that he's too old and gray be the young hip spokesperson for Microsoft.
One last rant- if I didn't have a 360 already I'd be all over this deal; compared to the Wii at $250 its a great deal. I know Nintendo makes great games but I can only play their first party titles so many times. The 360 has a huge library of great games and has the advantage of Xbox Live.
Bring on the Flame Wars.

[gabe @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:38PM]

$299 is still expensive ... Are these systems still moddable?

[Sam Zebian @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:46PM]

wow $200, that's like the price the PS2 was at for a while, it's cheaper than a Wii, it's almost the same price as a PSP, and it's cheaper than an Apple TV. And it has so much more function than all of these devices! This is such a great deal for a console. If I ever needed a 2nd 360, I now know I can get one on the cheap. (can you say netflix streaming in the TV room and bedroom!?)

[bob sakamano @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:48PM]

nice complete sentences sammy joon

[jol @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:49PM]

This is good news. It means that Microcenter already has it for $100
:)

[jrmtz @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:51PM]

If only they'd drop the Pro to $250 and get rid of the Arcade. Thast would give Nintendo a run for its money.

@usedbert: I actually think he's a good spokesperson. He's been doin it for years, and studies have shows that the average gamer is like 30 (or something like, too lazy to find the link), so I think he's an appropriate age to do what he does. It helps to have someone like him represent the Xbox as oppsoed to some young 20-year old celebrity who'll get a DUI and further stigmatize the gaming community.

Just my 2 cents.

[Joshua.JWilliams @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:55PM]

Finally a good price on these systems. I might actually have to pick up an XBox 360 to complement my Wii (Thanks in part to the government "stimulus" check). I miss my NCAA other sports games from my now defunc XBox ecosystem. $200 isn't a bad price at all. I'm glad I passed on the "clearance" sale of the 20GB XBox Premiums about 2 months ago.

Hmmmm...

[lawschoolbound @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:07PM]

Anybody heard if these will have the smaller GPU? It would make sense given the price cuts.

[thenumber81 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:47PM]

Hmm...this sucks for all of the people who just bought the 60GB HDD Xbox 360 pro...and now the price has dropped :)

[Ruben @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:01PM]

If they just bought it, they bought it within the 30 day window that most stores allow for returns or price matches. Lazyness will assure those people end up paying the extra anyways.

[thenumber81 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:52PM]

I can''t wait until the red controller comes out

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360limitededitionredwirelesscontroller/default.htm

lol it'll match good with my Halo 3 console...NOT!!!

[Ridgecity @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:55PM]

Guess they aren't selling anymore.... what should I get an xbox360 or a Sony mylo?

[kal326 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:58PM]

Hell at $199.99 its cheaper then most media center extenders. Might pickup and arcade to use as a second box, too bad I already sold off my original 20GB HD, could have had two fully functional boxes.

[jasmith1914 @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:39PM]

Does the elite have a faster chip? faster HDD?
Does arcade have a slower chip?
Is a HDD required to play?

[Ruben @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:57PM]

1. No. Internal hardware is identical, save for mainboard revisions, which are usually a case by case basis, and not determined by the model.
2. No. Only bigger.
3. No.
4. No. The memory card counts as the storage area, and that is used to store any game updates, live profile, etc. It is recommended, but not required.

[jasmith1914 @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:40PM]

any hardware differences between the three besides hard drive?

[Stefan @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:04PM]

It looks like Microsoft's website is already showing the new price....but it's not reflecting on any of the major online stores.

http://www.xbox.com/en-us/hardware/compare101.htm

[Peter @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:09PM]

I got the Zellers and Walmart flyers today, it advertises the Arcade for $197.87 and the Pro for $297.87. The flyer starts this Saturday, but I'm sure that Bestbuy and Futureshop will lower their prices with this Friday's flyer.

[Jovany @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:27PM]

Watch how Sony and Nintendo do pricecuts on theirs.

Im still waiting for one more pricecut on this and hopefully all final bugs in the hardware will be ironed out. ... We still have a few people with RRoD's on newly purchased systems.

[idburns @ Sep 4th 2008 12:41AM]

@Jovany "Watch how Sony and Nintendo do pricecuts on theirs."

Why would Nintendo announce a price cut? You can't still be guaranteed to walk into a store and find a Wii...and it's been out for almost 2 years.

[Willem @ Sep 4th 2008 12:11AM]

I recently bought a used 360 that was RRODing. I tried to fix it up, to no avail. But with this announcement, I think I'll pick up an Arcade, and just use the hard drive and cables I already have!

[idburns @ Sep 4th 2008 12:39AM]

@Neil "No one can guarantee electronic devices wont break, so why ask?"

I know plenty of people who have Wiis (or PS3s for that matter) and none of them have had return their consoles for repair/replacement even once...much less 4 times like quite a few people I know of with 360s.

I like my Wii. If I wanted another console it would most certainly be a PS3...buying a 360 is a gamble and that's a joke.

[Heinz @ Sep 4th 2008 9:37AM]

The wii in most houses, like mine, are just a box to collect dust, I would but a ps3 if it was half the price like the 360. I am just going to sell my current non hdmi 360 for 100 bucks and then buy a arcade and just use my old hard drive! Have fun talking to your friends on your wii and the awesome graphics, oh wait. No one plays the wii as much as a ps3 or 360 its not even in the same league. Only reason its in high demand is because of old people. So dont bring wii up here, the wii competes with the ps2, thats all. Its only 360 and ps3.

[mjgrothaus @ Sep 4th 2008 9:55AM]

Will the UK be getting similar price cuts on September 5th?

[StuartCH @ Sep 5th 2008 2:45PM]

PLEASE SAY YES! I HAVE BIN NEEDING A 360 FOREVER!!

[David Gerard @ Sep 4th 2008 10:10AM]

Microsoft Japan is already actually paying people to take the machines, with little success. "We hope more people will be able to enjoy Xbox 360," said marketing marketer Takashi Sensui, "and we can stop enjoying quite so many of them. We also have this fine pile of HD-DVD drives ... Wait! Come back!" http://notnews.today.com/?p=63