The Xbox Series S is on sale for cheaper than it was on Black Friday after reports Microsoft would share Xbox exclusives with other gaming platforms.
The Xbox Series S, which normally retails at $299, is on sale at Target for $219, or about $80 off. The Series S is already the budget version of the current console, selling at a retail price of $200 cheaper than the Xbox Series X, which boasts higher-level graphics performance and more storage.
The deal clocks in even lower than the lowest Black Friday deal for the console, which saw them going for $229.99 on sale at Dell, according to IGN.
The sale follows reporting from The Verge earlier this week that Microsoft plans to make many of Xbox’s exclusive titles playable on other devices like PlayStation. The Verge reported that the move would create a “seismic shift in strategy” for the company, giving Microsoft an opportunity to generate more revenue.
Business Insider’s Peter Kafka previously reported that the move is more of a “white flag” of admission that Xbox has finally lost the console war it was struggling to fight.
Sony has sold more than 50 million PlayStation 5 consoles since its release in November 2020, while the Xbox Series S and Series X have sold about 21 million units, IGN reported. In 2023, PS5 sales grew about 65% to 22.5 million units, while Xbox sales fell by about 15% to 7.6 million, according to Financial Times.
Despite years of releasing successful, console specific titles like “Halo” and others, Xbox has remained “solidly in third place” behind PlayStation and Nintendo consoles in sales, BI previously reported.
While the move shows that Microsoft is clearly rethinking it’s strategy when it comes to its gaming division, the company appears still committed to gaming. It recently purchased Activision Blizzard for $70 billion, which makes popular games like “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft.”
Xbox could use the strategy shift to emphasize its Xbox Game Pass, a “Netflix for games” that lets users pay a monthly subscription fee to play a wide assortment of games owned by Microsoft and published by other studios.
The shift indicates the company is moving away from making the Xbox a one-stop-shop home media center, transitioning its gaming division instead to market its products to consumers on any device.
Players who purchase the Xbox Series S through the Target deal will also receive a 3-month free trial to Xbox Game Pass, Kotaku reported.
