After teasing the deal earlier in the year, Microsoft officially rolled out its Xbox All Access deals through Amazon earlier this week. The deals offer players a way to get their hands on an Xbox One S or Xbox One X console for a monthly fee, rather than buying the console outright for a few hundred dollars. Shoppers will end up paying more in the long-run, as is almost always the case with buying something on credit, but it is a nice way to get a new console for gamers who don't have hundreds of dollars on hand.
An interesting component to the All Access deals is the promise of the option to upgrade to Project Scarlett when the console launches. Th deal has led to a ton of questions from the community and Xbox and Amazon are still working on answering everything potential shoppers have asked.
Reading the fine print of the Xbox All Access Amazon deals offers answers to some of the most commonly asked questions, so it's important to take a moment to break that down and see what is actually being offered and what is required of shoppers who think they might take advantage of this upgrade option.
When can I upgrade to Project Scarlett?
"Upgrading to Project Scarlett is subject to its release and availability at the time you upgrade."
This question totally depends on when Project Scarlett is actually released. We know that Project Scarlett is launching Holiday 2020, but it's exact release date hasn't been confirmed yet (despite a ton of Project Scarlett rumors). We'll get a more concrete answer to this question once we know more about the new console's launch plans.
Is there a minimum number of payments on my Xbox One before I upgrade?
"Upgrade requires at least 12 payments on your original Xbox All Access contract, and purchase of a new 24-month Xbox All Access contract for Project Scarlett, expected Holiday 2020."
This is one of the few questions that already has a concrete answer. Shoppers who agree to the contract will need to make at least 12 payments on their original Xbox All Access contract before they are eligible for the upgrade to Project Scarlett.
Will I receive a Project Scarlett on launch day if I upgrade?
This is perhaps the most popular question about the upgrade so far and, unfortunately, nothing in the fine print seems to offer an answer. The deal details do say that the upgrade to Project Scarlett is subject to the console's release date and availability, and availability is going to be the real key here. Will All Access subscribers get any kind of preferential treatment if there is a shortage of Project Scarlett consoles at launch? There's no way to be sure yet, but these are questions that Microsoft and the Xbox team definitely need to answer before many shoppers would agree to sign a contract.
Does my contract start over when I upgrade from Xbox One to Project Scarlett?
"Upgrade requires at least 12 payments on your original Xbox All Access contract, and purchase of a new 24-month Xbox All Access contract for Project Scarlett, expected Holiday 2020."
The short answer is yes. Players who opt for the upgrade after they have successfully completed 12 payments on their original All Access contract will start over with a new 24-month contract for Project Scarlett. That means that by taking advantage of this deal during holiday 2019 and planning to upgrade to Project Scarlett, shoppers are committing 36 months worth of payments. The deal does include a lot of perks, but shoppers should keep the contract length in mind when making their decision.
What other perks are included in the All Access deal?
"24-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and other benefits; game catalog varies over time. Internet access required (ISP fees apply). Membership conversion: your existing Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass membership(s) will automatically convert to Ultimate at a conversion ratio..."
"Your 24-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership is delivered directly to your console during set-up and is available in Settings; no codes required."
"Warranty: console is under a 1 year limited hardware warranty (90 days for controller/accessories) regardless of length of financing."
Access to the warranty and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are the main perks to keep in mind when considering these deals.
Can I upgrade to Project Scarlett from the Xbox One S?
"Upgrading from Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will require payment of a$20 upgrade fee (subject to change). The fee will be billed by Citizens One and will be due according to the first statement issued following the upgrade."
What does the listing say about the Project Scarlett upgrade?
"Upgrading to Project Scarlett is subject to its release and availability at the time you upgrade. Upgrade requires at least 12 payments on your original Xbox All Access contract, and purchase of a new 24-month Xbox All Access contract for Project Scarlett, expected Holiday 2020. Offer valid for original purchase of Xbox One X with Xbox All Access through Dec 31, 2019; not available with Xbox One S. New contract, terms, and pricing apply. Requires return of console in good condition. Project Scarlett is subject to FCC rules and will comply with the appropriate FCC rules when available. See product and upgrade terms at Xbox.com/XboxAllAccessTerms"
Above you'll find the full paragraph of details and terms related to the Project Scarlett upgrade. There are still a lot of unanswered questions and we expect the FAQ section of these deals to fill up very quickly. Shoppers who are interested in the deals should get in early, so that they can start working towards those 12 payments before upgrade, but more conservative fans may want to wait for some more details to emerge before signing the contract.
Xbox All Access bundles are currently available through Amazon. Project Scarlett is expected to launch during Holiday 2020.
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