Microsoft has announced the official release of their Xbox One S, but the unit is still unavailable in the market. What is available, however, is the original Xbox One, at half the original price.

Extreme Tech notes that it was only three years ago when the Xbox One was priced at $500 dollars. Now, just ahead of the Xbox One S, the same gadget is available for just $249. This could obviously be just a means to clear out the company's stocks, but it is a good deal nonetheless.

At $249, the more powerful Xbox One is already cheaper than the Wii U. And while it definitely does not pack in the same punch as a PlayStation 4 or PC, it does come with the opportunity to play an exclusive line of games. Further, there are games from the Xbox 360 generation that are available via the backwards compatibility feature.

Meanwhile, there are also deals available for the Xbox One S, as Xbox News reports. The new Microsoft console will feature 4K video streaming, High Dynamic Range for games and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. It is currently available in 500GB and 1TB bundles, called the "Madden NFL 17" Bundle and the "Halo Collection" Bundle.

The Xbox One "Madden NFL 17" bundle comes full of football merchandise. Specifically, it comes with the 1TB hard drive, a pre-downloaded "Madden NFL 17" game, several Madden Ultimate Team Pro Packs and one free month of EA access. Further, buyers will get the opportunity to win 20% off on their next purchase at FLCShop.com

All of this is currently available at just $347. The catch is that it is only available for US and Canadian buyers.

Meanwhile, the XBox One S "Halo Collection" bundle comes with five "Halo" titles - from "Halo : Guardians" to "Halo: The Master Chief Collection."

Both bundles are available for purchase at participating retailers and will be available by August 23. However, they are already available for pre-order.