The holiday season may be over, but Microsoft still has one more treat for gamers: Starting today, the Xbox One is available for a special price of $349.
Redmond knocked $50 off of its console price in November, hoping to attract gift givers with a two-month promotion. There is no word on how long the price cut will last this time, but Microsoft said today that the deal will be available in the U.S. via "preferred retailer[s]."
That holiday price cut certainly worked to Microsoft's benefit. The Xbox One$370.00 at Amazon was the best-selling console in the U.S. in November and December, according to data from the NPD Group.
Despite competition from Sony's PlayStation 4 $399.99 at Dell, weekly average sales of the Xbox One outpaced its predecessor, the Xbox 360, by 50 percent during the same time period.
"We are thankful for all the excitement for Xbox One this holiday and proud to offer more fans the amazing games lineup, Xbox Live gaming community, and continual innovation that Xbox One fans have come to enjoy," Mike Nichols, corporate vice president of marketing for Xbox, said in a statement.
As consoles flew off the shelves, so did the games to accompany them: Xbox One sold more games in the U.S. throughout November and December than any other current-generation platform, NPD Group reported.
"On the strength of Xbox One, Xbox 360, and a strong games lineup, fans spent more time playing Xbox this holiday than ever before," Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief Will Tuttle wrote in a blog post.
But it's a new year, and that means new games and features. Tuttle teased recent announcements about Halo 5: Guardians and Forza Motorsport 6, as well as upcoming titles like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Evolve, Screamride, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ori and the Blind Forest, Battlefield Hardline, and "many more surprises."
