Microsoft Announces Upcoming Price Increases To Xbox Consoles Across The Board
Console gaming has now hit the $800 benchmark
Mike Lind
9/22/20252 min read
The tech giant announced on Friday, September 19th that its mainline of video game hardware will see a price increase by $20 for the Xbox Series X and Series S. This price increase will only affect the United States, so there is little to deduce that this continuing results of the tariffs imposed by the President. It has continued to lead to uncertainty with video game pricing, and its long-term effects on trade, as Xbox consoles are manufactured across several countries, including China and Mexico. The price changes take effect October 3rd, so get them while it's relatively "affordable".
Xbox Series S 512 $399.99
Xbox Series S 1TB $449.99
Xbox Series X Digital $599.99
Xbox Series X $649.99
Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition $799.99
Xbox released a statement regarding the price change:
We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and providing value for Xbox players.
Are gamers being priced out?
The economic turmoil in the United States continues to see an uptick and a profound impact on the average consumers' entertainment dollar. This will be the second price hike the Xbox platform will see in 2025, with the previous jump in retail in May. They aren't alone, as Nintendo has recently increased the price of the original Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation invoked a 10% inflation on the PlayStation 5 hardware.
These devices are increasing in value, rather than going down as they get older. This could lead to a very slow turnover rate when it comes to converting gamers over to a PlayStation 6, or whatever the next Xbox platform is going to be (not to mention their recently revealed ROG Ally). The install base for the Xbox is already considerably behind the PlayStation 5, and while the tumultuous trade talks play a great hand in video game pricing for the foreseeable future, many choices being made are also coming at the expense of the fans' pocketbook. This hobby is becoming considerably more expensive, and sees no sign of turning around. Does the bubble ever burst...?