Microsoft is planning to cut the retail price of its Xbox 360 Pro System from US$399 currently to US$299 in an attempt to compete with the PlayStation 3 (PS3), which will be launched by Sony in November of this year, according to Taiwan-based OEM component makers. Microsoft Taiwan denied the report, asserting that it is misinformation.
Microsoft, to prepare for the price cut, has negotiated reduced production costs for the Xbox 360 with Taiwan-based manufacturing partners, stated the sources. The manufacturers estimate that the total production cost can be reduced by 15-20% due to diminishing costs for most components along with increasing production scales and decreasing defect rates, the sources pointed out.