Citizens Bank, Microsoft Team Up to Make Xbox Buying Mobile Payments-Easy

With the next generation of console gaming coming up—and likely to start appearing at E3 2020 with an eye toward sales in holiday 2020—it’s no surprise that many are starting to stuff their collective piggy banks ahead of the purchase. The credit card, however, is a second and very present option in time of lack of new console. Citizens Bank recently tipped us off about a new connection between it and Microsoft that would remove the credit card from the equation, and give users a new way to buy into Xbox.

The new partnership calls for Citizens Bank to provide consumer financing for the Xbox All Access program, a recently-minted operation under Microsoft’s operations. It will be available mainly through Amazon, reports note, and offer a complete point-of-sale experience along with zero percent annual percentage rate (APR) financing.

For now, the new move is limited to this generation of Xbox consoles, which means you’ll have access to Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or Xbox One S All-Digital Edition systems. However, those who actually pick up an Xbox system this way will be able to upgrade to the Project Scarlett—or whatever name it finally launches under—when it emerges next year.

While this isn’t exactly the kind of thing that will bolster current Xbox sales very far—it has pretty much lost this round of the console wars for good—consider this with an eye toward the next generation. It’s offering an easy way to pick up a console now, and also effectively hold a place for the next one down the line. It’s unclear if there will be any kind of supply issues, like if those who buy in under this program will get access to new Project Scarlett units on a priority basis, but Microsoft does seem to be effectively laying the groundwork for new releases.

Only time will tell how well this works out, but Microsoft needs gamers back in the fold after the losses to Sony this time around. This move might at least help bring in some gamers who might have stuck with Sony, or even some who were already with Microsoft. All of it thanks to a credit system that draws on the best of mobile payments to get the job done.