Xbox One pre-order guide: Prices, game bundles and where you can get them
UPDATED Xbox One pre-orders are a little easier than the PS4
Microsoft rolls out the Xbox One in the UK on November 22 - a week before Sony's PlayStation 4. Both will run games like Watch Dogs, Destiny and Battlefield 4. But based on pre-orders, the PS4 is proving to be the more popular machine.
But that's good news if you want an Xbox One for launch day and haven't got around to ordering it yet. While the PS4is close to being sold out everywhere in the UK, there's still time to grab a third-generation Xbox with a couple of tasty games and have it delivered in a fetching green box on November 22.
Like most console launches, buying options range from the big websites like Amazon and Tesco Direct to indie sellers like simplygames.com. On its own, the Xbox One has an RRP of £429.99, but bundles are available that can jack this price up as high as £550 for a console, a free game, an extra wireless controller and a 12-month subscription to Xbox Live.
We've rounded up all of the current deals in this article, which we'll keep updating so you know just where to get the best deal on an Xbox One.
Officially out of stock until December
Just as the Sony store is fresh out of PS4s for launch day on November 29, so the Microsoft Store has sold out of Xbox One Day Edition consoles. The Xbox One Day One Edition including a copy of FIFA 14 is no longer available for preorder and standard Xbox One packs now show a release date of December 31.
What's a Day One Edition? It includes everything that a basic Xbox One bundle does - the console, Kinect sensor, power supply, Xbox One controller, headset and a 4K-rated HDMI 1.4 cable. But it comes in premium black packaging, offers a limited edition Xbox One Day One controller (with a chrome D-pad) and a Day One Achievement.
The original Day One Edition bundle also included a free digital version of EA's FIFA 14 as standard, although this has recently been replaced by a free copy of Forza 5. If you get a choice, the Day One Edition is the bundle to go for and there are still some available if you know where to find them.
Launch day pre-orders still available
The Microsoft Store might be sold out of Xbox One consoles, but there are plenty of other options. As of September 15, Tesco Direct has an Xbox One Day One Edition Console for £429 with Forza 5 still showing in stock and with the promise of a launch day delivery.
Argos has a Day One Edition Xbox One offer with a digital copy of FIFA 14 for £429 and promises "hassle free home delivery on Xbox One launch day on 22 November 2013." Currys/PC World is also selling a Day One Edition that comes with Forza 5. As of September 15, it's priced at £429 and there's pre-order stock available.
Toys R Us is the cheapest (for now)
While the Xbox One Forza 5 pack (£429.99) and the FIFA 14 pack (£419.99) are no longer available, Toys R Us is selling the basic console for a discounted price of £419.99. It doesn't make clear that pre-orders will be delivered on launch day, but it doesn't say that they won't. Orders are restricted to two consoles per customer.
Check out the bundles on simplygames.com
The Xbox One bundles on simplygames.com start at £429.99 for the standard Xbox One and rise to £489.98 when a game is included (either Forza 5 or Dead Rising 3). The website shows all of these bundles are available for pre-order and delivery on launch day, including the £539.97 pack that features an Xbox One with Forza 5 and an extra wireless controller.
Shopto.net also has a variety of Xbox One bundles
While PS4 orders for launch day had a cut-off date of August 6, the supply of Xbox Ones is still relatively plentiful. This might be because buyers view the PS4 as technically superior to Microsoft's console or it might just come down to price. The £349 PS4 is £80 cheaper. But then again, every Xbox One ships with a Kinect.
The £429 RRP for the Xbox One makes some of the bundles on Shopto.net seem prohibitively expensive. An Xbox One Day One Edition console with Forza 5 and a 12 Month XBox Live subscription will set you back £499.85.
An Xbox One Day One Edition Console with Ryse plus a Play and Charge Kit is a tenner cheaper at £489.85. Ditto an Xbox One Day One Edition Console with Battlefield 4 and £15-worth of Xbox Live points.
Pricier bundles are also available. An Xbox One Day One Edition Console with Forza 5 and an extra wireless controller is priced at £516.85; the same console with Dead Rising 3, 12 months of Xbox Live access and £15-worth of points is £519.85.
Pricier still is the £526.85 Xbox One Day One Edition Console that comes with Dead Rising 3, Ryse and £10 of Xbox Live points. While £549.85 buys you the same Day One Edition console with Ryse, a year's Xbox Live subscription and an extra wireless controller.
Want one? Shopto.net urges you to order "before 12pm on Wednesday 20th of November 2013 to receive [your Xbox One] by the release date of Friday." Sounds like they don't anticipate a last-minute rush on those £500+ bundles.
Amazon has sold out
Unsurprisingly, Amazon has sold out its initial £429 Xbox One allocation and the message for would-be buyers is that "orders placed for this Xbox One Standard Edition console from August 15 will be received after release date." It just doesn't give a hint of when that might be.
Amazon did originally offer a Day One Edition Xbox One with FIFA 14 and a Day One Edition with Forza 5, but both bundles sold out quickly. You can enter your email address to be notified if extra stock comes in, but it's unlikely before the Xbox One's November 22 debut.
Zero Xbox Ones at Zavvi
Other retailers that can't guarantee an Xbox One for launch day include Zavvi, which says that any orders for the £428.95 machine processed after August 19 may be received after the Xbox One's release date. Note the 'may' in that previous sentence, not 'will'.
Asda's cut-off date was a little later - September 11. So if you pre-ordered a £429 Xbox One from its website after that date, you might not receive it on day one. But there is the prospect of a £20 discount code if you slap down a £20 deposit. That potentially puts the Asda price at a more attractive £409.
Game over at Game and Gamestop
Over at Game, the Xbox One is no longer guaranteed for launch either. If you're prepared to wait, there are two versions - a £429.99 standalone console and an exclusive £459.99 bundle that comes with Call of Duty: Ghosts. Both require a £20 deposit.
Finally, the £429.97 Xbox One offer at Gamestop has been and gone. Unless you pre-ordered before September 5, you'll need to join a waiting list to reserve one of the second wave machines. These will arrive at an unspecified point after the November 22 launch day. Only Microsoft knows when.
The overall picture
Where the PS4 is sold out almost everywhere online, you can still get an Xbox One delivered to you on launch day from at least half of the UK retailers we've looked at. This might be because Microsoft's console is less popular than the PS4 or because it's £80 more expensive. Or Microsoft might have put more units out to satisfy what it hopes is a huge demand for the new console.
If you still want to pre-order, there are still a few Day One Edition console bundles waiting to be snapped up. Microsoft originally offered FIFA 14 with European pre-orders, but the availability was limited. Other Day One Editions are shipping with Forza 5. Miss out on a Day One Edition and you don't get a free game.
Our advice: keep an eye on this page - we'll update it if things change and fresh stock hits retailers. You can also track day-to-day Xbox One availability via the handy Stock Informer website.
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