If you’ve been on the fence about getting a new video game console for you, your kids or the whole family, good news, Microsoft made an announcement earlier today that the Xbox One is now only $299, that’s a cool $50 cheaper than normal. That new price also includes bundles and deals from retailers. So you can now grab an Xbox One Gears of War bundle for just $300 bucks.
Not bad, right?
Wrong. This is what’s known as a stock clearing maneuver. On June 14, out in LA, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will kick off. This is where the big dogs come out to play and show off their big games for the year and new hardware. Sony is rumored to reveal the leaked Playstation 4.5, Playstation 4K or whatever they decide to call their project “Neo” when it’s finalized. This is the PS4 that will have 4K playback capabilities as well as beefed up specs. Microsoft, not to be outdone, is looking to reveal not one, but two new consoles at E3. The first is a smaller, slimmer Xbox One, rumored to be the smallest form factor ever for an Xbox Console as well as a redesigned controller. This will replace the One that’s currently on sale. The other console, which is codenamed “Scorpio,” is their version of an Xbox One and half (not sure if would be that or 1.5, who knows), aka their answer to Sony’s PS4.5. Scorpio is rumored to be 7x more powerful than the current generation and will also feature 4K playback, like the PS4.5. Be sure not to get playback confused with game play. Both of these new systems will play “media” i.e. movies, Netflix and other video content in 4K. The games themselves will still be in 1080p at 60fps.
Either way, right now is NOT a good time to buy a new console. I know it might be tempting to go out and buy an XBOX One because it’s $50 cheaper, but if you can wait until after E3 (June 14) to see what each company announces, it might be worth it. Granted, the new Xbox One (smaller one) might be the same price as the current system, so unless the new controller makes a difference to you, you might be okay getting the one that’s currently in stores, but if there are some tiny upgrades or the controller really is that much better, you’ll be kicking yourself later. Just get a new controller from sites like SCUF Gaming and that might be even better for your current XBOX system.
In any event, 14 days isn’t going to make or break you. Who knows, they may even announce some better bundles that what is currently available.