Xbox 360 Price Drops Confirmed News

Microsoft has today confirmed a fresh round of price cuts for the Xbox 360, which sees the entry-level Arcade SKU drop to £129.99, £50 less than Nintendo's Wii. The new prices will come into effect from September 19th.

The three SKUs of the Xbox 360 have all had their prices reduced, with the 60GB Pro available for £169.99, and the 120GB Elite available for £229.99. It had been speculated that a revision of the console's motherboard, codenamed 'Jasper', was due to launch last month. Now that the latest price cuts have been announced, it does seem like the new consoles will include the new motherboard.

"Xbox 360 has now sold over 20 million consoles worldwide and due to its unprecedented success, we are now able to pass on the rewards of that success to the consumer with a new retail pricing from £129.99", said Neil Thompson, Senior Regional Director, Microsoft UK. "With more games, more entertainment with Xbox LIVE and now even more value, we are looking forward to welcoming more customers into the leading Next Generation console, Xbox 360."

Microsoft will be launching a new set of games with broader appeal ahead of Christmas, in a bid to wrestle some of the Wii's audience. Titles such as Lips, You're In The Movies, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, together with the Avatar-enabled 'New Xbox Experience' all aim to take some of the focus away from the likes of Wii Fit, Wii Sports, and anything else Nintendo can throw at them.