Xbox Series S isn’t even out yet, and its price has already been reduced, though not across the board. On November 10, accompanying the $500 Xbox Series X, the less powerful Xbox Series S will release worldwide priced at $300, making it the cheapest next-gen console on the market. And it looks like Microsoft is going to use the console to target the Japanese market, a market it has not been able to penetrate with any of its three previous consoles.
When the price of the Xbox Series S was first revealed, it cost, before tax, 32,990 yen in Japan, which is about $313 USD. In other words, it was more money in Japan than the United States. And this was odd because the Xbox Series X was actually cheaper in Japan than the United States. In the United States, the Xbox Series X costs $500. In Japan, it costs 49,980 yen, which is roughly $474 USD.
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That said, the Xbox Series S no longer costs 32,980 yen. Rather, Microsoft has lowered the price of the console to $29,980 yen, which is about $284 USD.
Xbox Series Sไพกๆ ผๆนๅฎ 29,980ๅ๏ผ็จๆ๏ผ
โ Xbox Japan (@Xbox_JP) September 24, 2020
ๆฌกไธไปฃใฒใผใ ๆฉใใใใๅคใใฎ็ใใใซใๆฑใใใใ https://t.co/AXMUjPbEm9
At the moment of publishing, Microsoft has not provided a reason for the price drop, however, the change implies that the original price may have been an error.
Whether the price drop will make a difference for the console in Japan, who knows. The chances of Xbox finding any footing in Japan are slim. While the Nintendo Switch is doing well there, console gaming continues to decline to the point that it’s hardly a core market for Sony anymore, which used to do very well in the region it calls home.
Xbox Series S is set to release worldwide on November 10, priced at $300. For more coverage on the console and all things Xbox click here or check out the links below:
