Microsoft is kicking off May by hitting the Xbox Series console line with a sharp price increase, along with other Xbox hardware. Both Xbox Series X|S consoles are now notably more expensive, with their game line-up seeing an increase of $80 for the MSRP starting this holiday for “some” new games.
Moving on up (in the wrong direction)
Both Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 systems have seen gradual increases in price over the last few years, albeit this has been done region-by-region. What makes this particular increase for Xbox so significant is the fact that it’s happening worldwide, affecting both hardware and software, while the price difference is stellar.
In the US, the 512GB variant of the Xbox Series S is jumping by $80 to $379.99. The Xbox Series X is going up by a full $100 to $599.99. The recently released 2TB Galaxy Black variant of the system is now the most expensive console to date with a new MSRP of $729.99 (an increase of $130.)
Limited Editions of the Xbox Wireless Controller are also seeing a price bump, though (thankfully) only by a more palatable $10—moving to $89.99. The Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is jumping by $20 to $199.99. Meanwhile, the Xbox Wireless Headset is jumping by $10 to $119.99.
Xbox Game Pass is currently not part of this deployment of price changes, but Microsoft has raised that already in recent years.
A full chart prepared by The Game Business shows all the changes:
The official announcement of these hikes has been tucked away over on the Xbox Support website; likely for obvious reasons. Still, as the industry has now gotten wind of it, the increasing fallout has been thick.
We’re not out of the woods yet
Back in mid-April, Sony announced that the PS5 slate of systems would be getting a price increase over in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. After this latest move from Microsoft, it’s expected that more increases for PS5 are soon to come.
Nintendo also came under fire following last month’s full reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, particularly for the $80 MSRP of Mario Kart World. After initially scheduling pre-orders to start worldwide on April 9, the US and Canada markets were then quickly cut from that date due to the almost simultaneous announcement of global tariffs by the US government.
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders finally did go live in those regions on April 24, albeit with the caveat that accessories for the new system saw various price increases ahead of launch. Nintendo also confirmed that it’s leaving the door open for other potential price increases “depending on market conditions.”
That statement can apply across the board with Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo all observing and reacting to what has become an incredibly volatile global economic scene.
Since Covid, the gaming industry has been riding the turbulent waves of frequently-changing market conditions, which has led to an increasing trend of price hikes across both hardware and software sectors. This year has marked the biggest push in that direction, and it’s not even halfway complete.
As things stand, the current generation can perhaps be considered one of, if not the most difficult for consumers (and companies) to navigate. Buyers should expect more changes in the coming weeks and months.
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