Unfortunately, Microsoft Officials Say $399 Xbox One Lite Not Coming Anytime Soon

If you thought it was far too early in the next-generation console game to start thinking about discounted SKUs, pat yourself on the back, you were right to be skeptical. Admittedly, it's not always easy to be skeptical when you see the world "confirmed" attached to headlines, such as the case when rumors surfaced of a cheaper Xbox One Lite console coming to town for $399.

Several sites reported on the rumor, including VG247, which felt confident enough in the words of "a well-respected source" as confirmation from Redmond. According to that source and other reports around the web, Microsoft had begun telling its trusted publishing partners that it's planning to release a new, less expensive model of the Xbox One.

Xbox One

This prompted speculation across the web that Microsoft might offer a Lite edition with no Blu-ray drive, or that it would ditch the Kinect for a discounted SKU. When asked about the rumors, Microsoft's chief of staff for devices and studios, Aaron Greenberg, took to Twitter to set the record straight.

"No, you cannot believe everything you read on the Internet..," Greenberg posted to Twitter in response to a user asking if the $399 Xbox One rumor was true.

We saw a similar situation play out in the Xbox 360 days -- leak after leak suggested Microsoft would finally upgrade the console's optical drive to a Blu-ray, but it never materialized on the Xbox 360. That's not to say the Xbox One will forever cost $499 -- a price drop at some point is inevitable -- just don't hold your breath hoping for a cheaper Lite edition coming out anytime soon.