Microsoft announced that the Xbox Series S console will receive a temporary but noticeable discount during the Black Friday Sale that started today. The announcement and the sale itself came ahead of the busiest shopping weekend of the year. In addition to consoles, the Xbox Black Friday Sale brings a number of deals on Xbox games and accessories.
The announcement comes just one day after Microsoft released the November Xbox console update to players globally, which brought enhancements to Discord calls on consoles. In addition, the monthly update added a new app to make and post game clips, added some additional power-saving options, and added new ways to be notified when a game on a wishlist goes on sale, such as during Black Friday. Between the update and the ongoing sale, Microsoft hopes to move units and keep both new and current players happy ahead of the 2022 holiday season.
For the duration of the Black Friday Sale, the Xbox Series S will receive a $50 discount, which brings the actual retail price down from $299 to $249. Though the console itself does not include any games, Xbox stated that new players can still take advantage of Xbox Game Pass for $1 for their first month. Since the Xbox Series S is a digital-only console, Xbox Game Pass will be helpful in order for players to get the most out of the unit, and save some money in the process.
In addition to the Xbox Series S discount, Microsoft’s Black Friday Sale includes deals and discounts for games from both first-party and third-party developers. This list includes entries such as Halo Infinite, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and even Skyrim Anniversary Edition. The latter got a discount just days after the 11th anniversary of Skyrim itself.
However, players that are on the fence about picking up a new Xbox console at this price point may want to choose quickly. Previously, Xbox lead Phil Spencer stated that it is possible that the price will go up on Xbox consoles, games, and even Xbox Game Pass in the near future. Given the state of the global economy, the news comes at an unsurprising but disappointing time for some people. Though no price hikes are happening during Black Friday itself, it is something to bear in mind when shopping this holiday season.