Xbox Series X Finally Has a Decent Deal — But Malaysia Buyers Should Read the Fine Print
The Xbox Series X has been a tough console to recommend lately, mainly because the price has climbed hard. According to The Verge, the console has been sitting at $649 since last October — roughly around RM3,080 before taxes, shipping, and any local reseller markup. For Malaysian gamers, that is not exactly impulse-buy territory.
But if you were already planning to grab Microsoft’s big black box, there is finally a bundle that makes the damage feel a bit less painful.
Best Buy in the US is currently offering a Forza Horizon 6-themed Xbox Series X bundle that costs only $10 more than the usual inflated console price. The package includes the 1TB Xbox Series X, a disc copy of Forza Horizon 6, and a limited-edition wireless controller inspired by the game. The Verge notes that the controller alone is positioned as part of a $180 value bundle, so this is basically one of the better Xbox deals around right now.
Forza Horizon 6 launches on May 19, and yes, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play it on day one without buying the disc. That is still the smarter route for a lot of SEA players, especially if you already rotate through Xbox, PC, and cloud gaming. But the catch here is the controller. If you are the kind of collector who loves limited-edition hardware, this bundle is much more tempting than just paying for another month of Game Pass.
The bigger issue is availability. Best Buy is a US retailer, so Malaysian buyers should not treat the listed price as the final price. Once you factor in forwarding, shipping, possible import taxes, warranty concerns, and currency conversion, the value can disappear fast. If a local retailer eventually brings in the same bundle officially, that would be way more interesting for Malaysia — especially if the price lands anywhere near the converted US price instead of going full premium.
Still, the timing matters. The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are now both selling at around $150 above their original launch pricing in the US. That is wild when you remember that the Series X used to occasionally drop much lower a few years back. In Malaysia, where console prices already feel heavier because of exchange rates, that price creep hurts even more.
The Verge also points out the obvious elephant in the room: Grand Theft Auto 6. A lot of players who skipped this console generation may finally start looking at PS5 or Xbox Series X because of GTA 6. If you are in that camp, a bundle with an extra game and a limited controller is at least better than paying full price for a bare console.
Beyond Xbox, The Verge’s deal roundup also includes a few gadget discounts: Ugreen’s MagFlow 10,000mAh Qi 2.2 MagSafe battery is down to $49.99, a four-pack of first-gen Apple AirTags is going for $56.99 at Woot, and Lego’s Flower Bouquet is listed at $47.99 on Amazon. Those are mainly US-facing deals, but the Ugreen power bank is the one SEA tech fans should keep an eye on if similar pricing appears on Shopee or Lazada.
Bottom line: this Xbox bundle is not suddenly a perfect buy for Malaysia. But if you were already hunting for a Series X, it is one of the rare recent deals that actually adds meaningful value instead of just pretending to be a discount.
Source: The Verge
