Bad news, Xbox fans: Microsoft is making your hobby pricier. The company just announced immediate price increases for the Xbox Series X and S consoles, along with upcoming $80 price tags for first-party games by late 2025. Oh, and your favorite controllers and headsets? Those are getting more expensive too.
Let’s break it down. In the U.S., the Xbox Series X jumps from $499, to $599., while the 512GB Xbox Series S climbs from $299.99 to $379.99. Over in the UK, the Series X gets a £20 bump, and the Series S rises by about £50. Microsoft claims the hikes are due to “market conditions and rising development costs” (read: everything’s expensive now). The company told IGN:
“We know this sucks, but we had to do it. We’ll keep focusing on letting you play games anywhere, promise!”
Meanwhile, Take-Two’s CEO is probably somewhere nodding sagely, because of course games are jumping to $80 soon. Starfield 2 or Forza 8 will now cost you the same as a decent dinner out.
Blame the usual suspects: shipping nightmares, U.S.-China trade drama, and the fact that making games now costs more than a small country’s GDP. The Xbox Series X/S, already a luxury for many, just became even more of a flex.
For a full list of global price changes, check out The Game Business’s breakdown. Spoiler: The U.S. gets hit hardest, but everyone’s paying more.
Over on the Xbox subreddit, gamers are alternating between rage and resignation.
- “$600 for a console? Might as well buy a PC.”
- “At least Game Pass exists… for now.”
- “$80 games? Guess I’ll wait for a sale… in 2030.”
Meanwhile, Sony’s quietly high-fiving itself for keeping the PS5 at $499.
Will you still buy an Xbox Series X/S at these prices? Or is this the final nudge toward PlayStation/PC/Nintendo? Sound off below!