At the close of their E3 press conference today, Microsoft announced the Xbox One will cost $500 (€500 in Europe and £430 in the UK) at retail when it launches in November. Customers in 21 markets will be able to land a Day One Edition that includes a “commemorative controller (pictured below) and exclusive achievement.” Reservations are being accepted now at various retailers. The $499 price point seems to be a little higher than many analysts had expected. Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities predicted the Xbox One would launch with an MSRP of $399. You’ll recall back in 2005 the Xbox 360 launched at $400 for the 20GB model and $300 for the “Core” console without a hard drive.
