Xbox One S Discounted $50 As Project Scorpio Launch Draws Closer

As the Xbox Project Scorpio finally gears up for a launch, Microsoft seems to have quite a few offerings in its queue. In the lead up to the launch, the company has discounted the Xbox One S by $50 — the console now being available for $199.

The company announced the deal Saturday on Twitter.

Read: Xbox Project Scorpio Specs Include 9GB DDR5 RAM, Executive says

The company has also discounted its Xbox One S bundles:

• Xbox One S “Halo Wars 2”1TB bundle is now available for $299 instead of $349
• Xbox One S “Battlefield 1” 500GB bundle is now available for $249 instead of $299
• Xbox One S “Forza Horizon 3”1TB bundle is now available for $299 instead of $349
• Xbox One S “Forza Horizon 3”500GB bundle is now available for $249 instead of $299
• Xbox One S “Minecraft Favorites”500GB bundle is now available for $249 instead of $299
• Xbox One S “Gears of War 4” 2TB limited edition bundle is now available for $249 instead of $299
• Xbox One S “Battlefield 1” 500GB special edition bundle is now available for $249 instead of $299
• Xbox One S “Battlefield 1” 1TB bundle is now available for $299 instead of $349
• Xbox One S “Gears of War 4”1TB bundle is now available for $299 instead of $349
• Xbox One S “Gears of War 4” 500GB special edition bundle is now available for $249 instead of $299

This seems to be the company’s final push for Xbox One S before the Xbox Project Scorpio launch. It is not clear whether the Xbox One S will still be available once the Project Scorpio hits the shelves. Both Sony and Microsoft are going neck and neck this year. While Microsoft is expected to launch the Xbox Project Scorpio at the ongoing E3 event in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sony is expected to make some important announcement regarding PlayStation 4 or maybe even a prospective PlayStation 5 Monday.

Microsoft, though, has more to lose if fails to deliver the expected specifications or pricing for the Project Scorpio. It has been left being in terms of sales by PlayStation series and also does not have the kind of range or accessories that Sony offers. For example, Sony already has the PlayStation VR headset for players who are interested in VR gaming. Microsoft has no such offering as yet. Even if the Xbox Project Scorpio is VR-capable, up till now, there has been no news of Microsoft launching a compatible VR headset, despite having its own HoloGraphic VR technology. It’s own VR headset setup – the HoloLens is priced around $3,999, which takes it out of the reach of an average gamer.

Read: Project Scorpio At E3 2017: 5 Games That May Look Best On Microsoft’s Next Xbox

This seems to be the primary reason Microsoft is differentiating itself by making the Project Scorpio much more powerful than existing consoles. But unless the company gets the pricing correct, its success cannot be assured.