Microsoft’s Xbox One has been growing in popularity over the last few months since it became clear that the company was dedicated to changing the console’s image after a shaky launch in 2013.
Now, with the launch of the Xbox One S, there’s never been a better time to head out and pick up Microsoft’s console. Seeking out a bundle, however, is a different matter. Your gut may say to fly to Amazon to pick up a bargain, but one look at its list of console deals and you’ll quickly realise there aren’t very many to be had.
That’s why we’ve put together a great list of the best Xbox One deals on the web so you can snap up a great saving on an Xbox One. If you’re still wanting to save some more money on an Xbox One, keep your eyes peeled for Black Friday deals in November as Microsoft is sure to slash the price of its home console over the frenetic holiday period.
Until then, here’s this week’s best Xbox One deals.
Best UK Xbox One deals:
- Xbox One S 500GB with FIFA 17- £249.99 @ Very
- Xbox One 1TB Elite with Forza 6, Halo 5: Guardians and 2-month NowTV movies pass – £319.99 @ GAME
- Xbox One S 500GB with FIFA 17– £249.99 @ GAME
- Xbox One S 500GB with FIFA 17– £249.85 @ ShopTo
- Xbox One 500GB with Kinect, Dance Central, Kinect Sports Rivals and Zoo Tycoon– £219 @ Tesco Direct with code (via HotUKDeals)
What to look for in an Xbox One bundle
When looking out for an Xbox One deal there are certain things you need to ask yourself before you decide to buy:
- Do I want an Xbox One or Xbox One S?
- Do I plan to play games online?
- What games do I really want to play?
- Do I need a second controller?
- Do I need 500GB, 1TB or 2TB storage?
Do I want an Xbox One or Xbox One S?
Aside from the aesthetic differences between the Xbox One and the Xbox One S, the real consideration you have to take into account here is: is it worth spending that extra money for an Xbox One S?
Microsoft’s revised Xbox One is 40% smaller than the original Xbox One meaning that you might want to pick one up if space and size is a major consideration for you. It’s also helpful that Microsoft has managed to cram the Xbox One’s power pack into the console body, meaning no more ugly black box on your power cable.
If space is of no concern, the next point to tally up is: do you have a 4K TV? If the answer is no – and you don’t plan on picking up a 4K set anytime soon – then you really needn’t bother with an Xbox One S. If you do have a 4K TV, you need to weigh up if the option to watch 4K video content is that big a deal, as that’s really the only added benefit of the Xbox One S over the Xbox One.
Do I plan to play games online?
If you want to play online against friends and total strangers, you’re going to need to nab yourself an Xbox Live account and Gold subscription. This clocks in at £50 a year, but you can pick it up for less on Amazon if you don’t want to have the service auto renew via your Xbox.
Xbox Live Gold subscription bags you four free games a month (two Xbox One, two backwards-compatible Xbox 360), along with access to services like Upload Studio, digital store discounts and unlimited online play, so it’s worth it if you think you’ll make use of it. Many bundles won’t come with Xbox Live included – at least not beyond a cursory 14-day trial – but there may be the odd occasion where you will find at least 3-months of Gold thrown in.
Basically, if you’re thinking about playing online with friends, factor the cost of an Xbox Live Gold subscription in when you start shopping.
What games do I really want to play?
Finding a reasonably priced Xbox One deal that also comes with the selection of games you actually want is about as rare as a unicorn surfing upon the Sea of Tranquility. It just isn’t going to happen.
However, if you’re happy to pick up blockbuster games a few months to a year after they’ve released, you’ll be able to get them bundled in at a pleasingly low price. For instance, picking up an Xbox One with a copy of Battlefield 1 on launch will be so much more expensive than you had planned on. But, if you were to pick up an Xbox One along with Battlefield 4 (which released two years ago) you’re far more likely to find it at an unfathomably low price.
It’s also worth remembering that many places allow you to trade games in. You could buy a low-priced bundle containing a few games you’re not after and trade them in towards a game you actually want. That way you’ve both saved money and have the game you want to play. Not bad.
Do I need a second controller?
This is clearly a rather straightforward question. Do you have anyone else in the house who would want to play on the Xbox with you? And do you have any games that can actually benefit from couch co-op?
Around events like Black Friday, you might find a bundle that includes a second controller as standard, but usually you won’t find a deal with two controllers in it. Some outlets offer you a discount on picking up a second controller at the same time as your bundle purchase, but – just like with Xbox Live Gold – you should always factor in the cost of an extra controller when looking at a relevant bundle.
Do I need 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage?
The Xbox One comes with an internal hard disk drive so it can save game data and install game assets to help speed up loading during play sessions. How many games you can install is dictated by the amount of storage the console contains. A standard Xbox One will come with 500GB, but 1TB models are also available. The Xbox One S, however, can go up to 2TB of internal storage and the Xbox One Elite has 1TB of “fusion drive” storage for those who need some speed when it comes to loading games up.
Unfortunately, the Xbox One doesn’t have swappable hard drives like the PlayStation 4, so once your dive is full, that’s it – you won’t be able to upgrade it.
Thankfully, Microsoft does allow you to plug in an external hard drive and have that work like an internal one – provided it’s USB 3. Because of this, you can usually pick up an external drive for less than the cost of opting for a bigger Xbox One. For instance, I have a 2TB external drive attached to my Xbox One and it cost less than the price difference between an Xbox One S 500GB and the Xbox One S 2TB. It’s a no-brainer really.