Microsoft claims that’s not happening
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Last week, rumors abounded on the internet that later this year Microsoft would release a cheaper, albeit lower-end, model of the Xbox One later this year. The rumor didn’t seem far-fetched, as we expect the price to drop some and the possibility of variations on the product.
However, a Microsoft executive has taken to Twitter (what could possibly go wrong when that happens?) and stated these stories are untrue.
Aaron Greenberg, the chief of staff for devices and studios, answered a tweet that read “is this $399 xbox one rumor true? If so can it please at least wait till 2015”. The response was short, and to the point. “No, you cannot believe everything you read on the internet”.
The cheaper model that sheds the optical drive was only one of two rumors circulating, the other being a white model of the console. That part was not addressed.
This obviously must be taken with a grain of salt. No Microsoft executive is going to reveal cheaper future pricing and kill current sales. We’ve also seen a long history of denials of products that led up to the release -- Steve Jobs famously claimed the iPod didn’t need video. We’ll just wait and see on this one.