Microsoft is announcing the return of its buy a PC and get a free Xbox 360 deal for students this week. Students in the US who purchase a qualifying PC worth $699 or more at certain retailers will get a 4GB Xbox 360 for free from May 20th onwards. Canadian students will also be able to take advantage of the deal, starting May 18th, by purchasing a PC worth $599 or more.

The free Xbox 360 deal is the second of its kind after the company ran an identical offer last year. Retailers in the US, including Best Buy, Dell.com, Fry’s Electronics, HPDirect.com, Microsoft Stores, and NewEgg.com, will offer eligible PCs. Canadian retailers, including Best Buy, Dell.ca, Future Shop, Staples and The Source, will also offer the deal to shoppers. With Windows 8 on the horizon, you could say that it's a bad time to purchase a laptop, but Microsoft is rumored to be launching a Windows 8 upgrade program next month. If you're looking to pick up a qualifying PC and free Xbox 360 then you might want to wait until June 2nd, when the Windows 8 upgrade program will reportedly launch.