Microsoft Will Launch The Xbox One This November For $499

While that other big tech press event soldiers on, Microsoft just recently wound down its E3 media briefing with a long-awaited bit of news: the Xbox One will launch sometime this November, and gamers in the U.S. will have to shell out $499 to get their hands on one.

Don’t live in the U.S.? No problem. Microsoft has said that the console will be available in 21 (currently unspecified) markets, and shared some pricing details for those living across the pond. Folks in the U.K. can claim their One for £429, while those in the rest of Europe will pay €499.

To no one’s surprise, Twitter is already lighting up with gamers who don’t agree with Microsoft’s pricing decision — the original Xbox 360 launched with a seemingly crazy $399 price tag back in 2005, a price point that some analysts figured Microsoft would revisit with the Xbox One. It’s hardly a shock to see that the new Xbox is a costly package though, especially since the console comes with an upgraded Kinect right in the box.

Now that Microsoft has laid its Xbox One cards on the table, all eyes are on Sony to pull back the curtain on its much-anticipated PlayStation 4. The company held a New York press conference back in February that was unfortunately light on the juicy details, and Sony is widely expected to out the console in a big way at its own E3 press event later tonight.