Microsoft Preparing Its Own Black Friday Sale, Including Console Deals And $1 Game Pass

Not to be outdone by Sony and all the other retailers offering something on the annual shopping day, Microsoft has provided some early details on what it has in mind for Black Friday – and a few of its deals are kicking off as soon as this coming weekend.

The publisher has noted that it will be marking down quite a few of its digital games starting November 17th for Xbox Live Gold members, and November 23rd for other Xbox Live shoppers. It's expected that the company will offer up to 65 percent off in savings for a number of hit games, including Gears of War 4, Forza Motorsport 7 and Halo Wars 2, as well as more first and third-party offerings.

In addition, in an effort to get more customers on board, Microsoft will also be hosting a special offer for both soon-to-be Gold members, as well as first-time subscribers to the Xbox Game Pass service, its monthly based subscription program.

Starting November 16th, fans can sign up for their first month of Xbox Live Gold for just $1. The offer is for new subscribers only, and provides free games via the Games With Gold program, with up to four a month for Xbox One owners.

In addition, on November 17th, Microsoft will also offer Xbox Game Pass subscriptions starting at $1 for the first month, before kicking in to its $9.99 monthly price. This will enable users to see what the program is all about, getting access to over a hundred games for just a single dollar bill. Not a bad deal at all.

Finally, the company will also host special sales through its Microsoft Stores and online, including the ability to snag an Xbox One S 500GB console for $189 starting on November 23rd. And just two days before that, those interested in making their own custom controller through the Xbox Design Lab can do so for $15 off the normal price, bringing it down to $74.99 plus other services and shipping. And you'll have plenty of time to get one customized just before Christmas.

Microsoft should have a full list of available game deals posted in just a few days' time, so be sure to check back for all the deals that'll be available. It never hurts to stock up on some Xbox Live Marketplace credit in the meantime.