Contractual obligations
A few days ago, Windows Central had let loose a bunch of details on an upcoming bundle for the Xbox One that would follow a similar plan to cellphone contracts. Users would sign-up for a monthly fee to get immediate access to an Xbox One S or X with Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass. It was an enticing prospect, but not all of the details were made clear.
Microsoft has now pulled back the curtain on everything and the offer is starting to sound a bit more palatable. The reported fee of $21.99 a month for an S and $34.99 a month for an X was accurate, but there will be no upfront cost associated with either offer. You’ll simply pay the first month and walk out of the store with your new Xbox device. The offer is only available in the US through Microsoft stores for a limited time, so you’ll need to find your local one to take advantage of the deal.
Here are the bullet points Microsoft has listed:
- No upfront cost
- One low monthly price
- 0% APR for 24 months
- 24 months of Xbox Game Pass
- 24 months of Xbox Live Gold
As for the cost of this bundle, both do work out to be cheaper. Regarding the X, unless local sales tax is outrageous for you, two years of Xbox Live Gold will run you $120. Two years of Game Pass comes out to $240 (barring any deals that Microsoft likes to run) and the Xbox One X is $500. That is a total of around $860, whereas going through this deal will amount to $840.
Xbox One S is normally $230 (though can sometimes be had for $170 during holidays). Combining the two services at $360, buying everything separately would be $590. Using this deal, you’ll spend around $528. That is a much larger discount, but the X will future proof you for upcoming titles (not to mention it supports 4K gameplay).
In any regard, it seems Microsoft is really just trying to get people onto its platform. If you have no intention of playing online or even perusing Game Pass, you’d still be better off going with just the console, but I can’t deny how insane this deal is.
Introducing Xbox All Access [Xbox Wire]
