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Xbox Refuses to Bite in Next-Gen $$$ War Against PlayStation 5

Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:02 PM
Thomas Bardwell
Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:02 PM
  • Microsoft will host first-party game showcase on July 23.
  • The platform holder has no plans to unveil the Xbox Series X price, according to multiple industry insiders.
  • The on-going game of pricing chicken with Sony’s PS5 will continue into August.

With PlayStation-dominated June now done and dusted, it’s back over to Xbox to flog its take on the next-gen dream.

Microsoft confirmed yesterday that it would beam the unimaginatively-named Xbox Games Showcase to gamers worldwide on July 23. Expect a raft of announcements, reveals, and surprises. Don’t expect a price reveal, though, or at least that’s the word among insiders.

The Verge’s reputable senior editor, Tom Warren, took to Twitter yesterday to put to bed any speculation that Microsoft was gearing up to end the ongoing game of pricing chicken with Sony .

Xbox

In response to a jesting poll published by Niko Partners’ Daniel Ahmad, Warren confirmed the focus would be on the games.

Ahmad’s poll asked, ‘Will there be pricing info at the Xbox Series X event?’ with two identical ‘no’ answers. The implication is pretty evident. Another reputable industry commentator, Nibellion, also jumped in to back up claims that a price reveal isn’t on the cards .

Xbox, PS5 Game of Pricing Chicken Continues

As such, we’re unlikely to know the Xbox Series X price before August at the earliest.

Over at camp PlayStation, the situation is much the same, although rumors suggest Sony may drop the price during the expected August State of Play . Otherwise, we can’t discount another out-of-the-blue DualSense-style announcement seemingly out of nowhere.

Yet, neither platform holder wants to flinch first and risk giving the other the chance to undercut them.

It will be interesting to see how far they are willing to go to keep the price under wraps. As the targeted Holiday 2020 approaches, Sony and Xbox are slowly running out of time. Looking at the previous generation, we already knew the price of both consoles by this point.

Although the price is always a prime consideration for gamers eyeing up their next-gen allegiance, the current pandemic has put it into renewed focus. Financial hardship and economic uncertainty mean even the most loyal platform fans may be tempted to jump ship if the price is right.

What’s certain is that the next-Gen game of pricing chicken won’t end with Xbox’s July 23 showcase.