New Price Update: Xbox Series X Console Costs Rise, Gamers Surprised

Microsoft has announced that it will be raising the price of the Xbox Series X console in various countries. This decision is aimed at better reflecting the competitive conditions in the affected markets. Following a trend of price increases for the Xbox Series S, which began in early 2023, the company is now implementing similar adjustments for the Xbox Series X. This move comes in response to weaker growth in some of the world's largest economies throughout 2022, prompting many goods and service providers to raise their prices in anticipation of a global recession. Sony had previously raised the prices of the PS5 in multiple countries in August 2022, and Microsoft has since followed suit by adjusting the pricing of the Xbox Series S in markets such as India and Sweden.

In a recent statement to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed that the company plans to raise the prices of the Xbox Series X in most of the markets where the console is currently available. Starting from August, Microsoft will implement a price adjustment that will increase the cost of its high-performance next-gen console by up to 10%. This means that the console will be priced at CAD $649.99 in Canada, £479.99 in the UK, AUD $799.99 in Australia, and €549.99 in the EU. However, the United States, as well as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Japan, will not be affected by these pricing changes. It is worth noting that Japan had already experienced a price increase for the Xbox Series X/S in January 2023.

Countries Exempt from the August 2023 Xbox Series X Price Increase

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Japan

United States

The Xbox Series X is currently sold in 41 markets, and this price increase will impact 36 of them, according to Microsoft's support pages. The intention behind this move is to align the pricing of the Xbox Series X with that of the PlayStation 5 worldwide.

When Sony initially raised the price of the PS5, Xbox boss Phil Spencer promptly assured consumers that they would not be increasing their console prices at the time. However, with this recent announcement, Xbox will be following in Sony's footsteps just a year later, resulting in a shorter duration of frozen Xbox Series X prices than some consumers may have anticipated.

Microsoft has announced that it will be increasing the prices of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the first time. Starting in July 2023, the basic tier of the service will cost $10.99 per month, up from $9.99. Additionally, the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription will see a 13.5% increase to $16.99, compared to its current monthly fee of $14.99. This price adjustment is also expected to impact the Friends and Family plan, a special subscription tier that is currently available in eight markets and offers a more affordable option compared to purchasing two Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions.