Xbox One Controller and Accessory prices released

Microsoft recently unveiled the prices of the Xbox One Controller along with their play and charge kit and headset. I have mixed feelings about it all.

 The price of the products increased from their Xbox 360 predecessors. Since I have not personally held the controller in my hand, nor used the headset or the plug and play charge kit, I can’t say if the increase and price justifies the purchase overall. They are definitely using new technology in these products to enhance the overall gaming experience. I do like the fact that the Xbox One headset plugs in fully into the controller, similar to how the Xbox 360 headset plugged in, before they did the revamp on them and made is so that it is one tiny little plug with the in-line audio controls. The original headset always felt more secure in the controller than its successor. The buttons on the headset plug are a nice improvement, because I can’t count the times I accidently rolled back the volume on the original Xbox 360 headset. I do question if the new design will interfere with the player when they hold the controller, but only time will tell I guess.

I do think that the products are slightly overpriced, and the fact that the Xbox One’s do not come with a provided headset really pisses me off. They Xbox 360’s came with one, it adds to the experience that Microsoft is trying to sell. Not providing the headset with the purchase of their product is a foolish move since it’s an external purchase. Less people will buy if it is not included, although I am sure a fair amount will buy it to talk with their friends. The fact still remains that the Xbox One, as of now, is $100 more than the PS4. The PS4 ships with a headset AND allows backwards compatibility with PS3 headsets, so previous purchases won’t be a waste.

Let it be known that I own an Xbox 360 and not a Playstation 3, but Microsoft has been making all the wrong moves with this release. They are going to have to work ten times harder than originally planned to relatively compete with the Playstation in terms of the product itself and what they are offering if they want to win over gamers.

Here is their official online store with the prices and a little bit of information:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/list/Accessories/parentCategoryID.64484500/categoryID.64724300