Microsoft launched its Xbox Black Friday sale earlier this week, with big discounts on games, controllers, and accessories. But if you’ve been hoping for a console deal, the Xbox Series X and Series S remain at full price for now.
While there are Black Friday deals for both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the PlayStation 5, Microsoft has noticeably not matched its competitors this year. The company hasn’t given an official reason for holding back on Xbox console discounts, but many point to Microsoft’s broader business model, which has shifted away from relying on hardware profits and toward a more service-focused strategy.
As it currently stands, the cheapest Xbox console available this holiday season is the Xbox Series S. The 512GB All Digital Edition is available for $399.99. That's technically the same as the PS5 Digital Edition, which received $100 price cut this Black Friday after Sony previously raised the price to $499.99. The 1TB Xbox Series S is available for $449.99, or the current price of the PS5 Disc Drive Edition.
Meanwhile, there's also the more powerful Xbox Series X which is also remaining at its full price:
- 1TB All-Digital - $599.99
- 1TB Disc Drive - $649.99
- 2TB Disc Drive - $799.99
As for why Microsoft is avoiding direct price cuts, it could have something to due with the rising costs, from component shortages to tariffs. Although we aren't seeing any discounts on the standalone consoles, you can sometimes get a deal on bundles. Unfortunately, we aren't seeing those either this year.
So if you're looking to get an Xbox Series S or Series X at a discount this Black Friday, you may be a bit out of luck. That said, there are discounts to be had on games, controllers, and accessories. The Xbox Black Friday sale runs for the next five days and offers up to 75% off on select Xbox Games and up to 20% on select Xbox controllers and accessories.
Microsoft has not officially confirmed they are working on their next-generation Xbox hardware, but there are plenty of rumors and reports that suggest the next full-generation Xbox console is aiming for a launch window around 2027. Reports indicate that the next Xbox will be more PC-like than previous generations with an operating system that will run a full version of Windows.
Microsoft also recently released the ROG Xbox Ally, a powerful handheld gaming computer co-developed by ASUS and Microsoft. It's essentially a portable Windows gaming PC designed to feel and function like an Xbox console. The ROG Xbox Ally is available for as low as $599.99 for the 512GB with 16GB RAM, or as expensive as $999.99 for the 1TB with 24GB RAM.