Xbox One wins December, price returns to $349

Xbox One has a record breaking holiday period. To celebrate, Microsoft is keeping the price low.

The Xbox One price was cut before the holidays in a savvy temporary price reduction. It had returned to full price earlier this month, but Microsoft has announced it will continue offering the console at $349 as of January 16.

The promotion is a celebration of the Xbox One's success over the holiday period. According to Microsoft, NPD data shows the Xbox One was the best-selling console in the US December, giving it two consecutive months in that role. Weekly average sales during these months outpaced Xbox 360 by 50% at the same point in its lifecycle.

Speaking of the Xbox 360, it became the best-selling seventh generation console of all time in the US as of December.

Here are a few other facts supplied by Microsoft, drawing on NPD and internal data:

• In 2014, users logged nearly 8 billion hours globally in apps across Xbox 360 and Xbox One, a 50 % increase from time spent in 2013.
• Xbox One also sold more games throughout November and December in the US than any other current-generation platform.
• From November 24 to January 3, fans spent more time playing on Xbox than they ever have before, at any point in the history of Xbox.
• In the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta alone, 18 million games have been played to date.

We'll have more details from the NPD's December report as they emerge. In the meantime, here's Xbox boss Phil Spencer looking understandably chuffed.