The PlayStation 5 has two versions confirmed. The next-gen Xbox has only one. Not for long, though…

On the Beyond3D forums, eastmen, a credible Microsoft insider, wrote the following: „Last I heard it [the Xbox Series S/codenamed Lockhart] be half the price of the Xbox Series X, and last I heard, Microsoft was prepared for a $400 Xbox Series X. I am not sure what the final price will be. I think if Sony’s PlayStation 5 [Standard Edition] is $500/$600, then Microsoft may try to go in at $200/$400/$500, but we will see.”

Now that would be aggressive pricing strategy, but Microsoft would recuperate its losses elsewhere: „Microsoft S will make up any losses they take by getting a higher cut of game sales and more subscriptions. Pricing also depends on what Sony does. Microsoft doesn’t have to go as extreme in pricing if Sony prices itself higher.” They also have something called Windows…

Eastmen also talked about the July Xbox event: „From what I’ve heard from all my sources, July isn’t about Sony – July is about the industry and Microsoft wants it to be a night of mic drops. They are going to come hard with the strategy they have been building up to for years, and they want Google [Stadia], Amazon [they also plan a game streaming service], Apple [Apple Arcade], Sony [PlayStation Now], and yes, Nintendo to shaken up. So expect a series of mic drop moments followed by the price being the key part of all this.” Then again, Sony and Microsoft are working together on cloud-based technology…

The insider, in short, said the Xbox Series S (we call it as such, seeing Microsoft’s naming convention…)/Lockhart to become the Netflix of gaming: „That’s why I think Lockhart is a key device in their strategy. It’s a low-cost gateway that they can control to make sure the hardware can handle their new compression techniques they will employee with xCloud over the next few years. The plan for Lockhart is to get into price categories they were never able to hit before, and I believe – based on listening between the lines – that they expect Lockhart to at some point make it down to Amazon’s Fire TV’s size. Also, the size of the first Lockhart will surprise everyone.”

The Xbox Series X/Lockheart will potentially be announced in July. Keep in mind that nothing is official above at the moment!

Source: WCCFTech

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