Official: Xbox 360 Pro is dead, Elite cheaper, Arcade more expensive

by Stevie Smith - Aug 27 2009, 15:15

Moving quickly to counter Sony’s unveiling of new and cheaper PlayStation 3 hardware, software giant Microsoft is hoping similar price cuts to its Xbox 360 console help keep its main market rival at bay.

Finally putting speculation and rumour to rest, Microsoft has confirmed it is dropping the price of the 120GB Elite Xbox 360 from 229.99 GBP to 199.99 GBP from tomorrow (Friday, August 28). It will shift down to €249.99 Euros across Europe on the same day. 

However, while the price drop will likely be welcomed by some prospective Xbox 360 owners, it would appear that Microsoft is giving with one hand, and promptly taking away with the other.

Specifically, the 30 GBP price reduction applied to the upper-tier Elite console is being transferred to the basic Arcade model, which, as we recently reported, is actually set to jump in price from 129.99 GBP to 159.99 GBP.

“With the Christmas season right around the corner, it’s already time to start looking for entertainment and gifts that everyone will enjoy,” enthused Chris Lewis, vice president of Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft Europe.

“We know that price is a critical influencing factor in consumer choice,” added Lewis, “but we also know that consumers across Europe are looking for value, benefit and entertainment experiences, so we need to address all these points to continue to grow and be successful in Europe.”

And, by way of ramming home that point about consumer choice and value, Microsoft has also revealed it will cease production of the 20GB Pro version of its Xbox 360 – and rumours persist that the upwardly adjusted Arcade model will also be stripped of its five free Xbox Live Arcade games too.

Adding to that great sense of value, GamesIndustry.biz reports that newly priced UK and European Elite consoles will no longer come with HDMI cables. Bargain.

The Elite's current $299 USD price point in the U.S. will remain unaltered, as will the $199 USD price attached to the Arcade. 

During last week’s GamesCom trade fair in Germany, Sony Computer Entertainment officially introduced its new PlayStation 3 Slim alongside a hardware price cut that will see both new and old versions of its console selling for 249 GBP in the UK ($299 USD in the U.S. and €299 Euros across Europe).

The PlayStation 3 Slim and its accompanying price cut will be formally rolled out during the first week of September.

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