Key Highlights:
- Microsoft confirmed global Xbox Series X price increases of up to 10% starting August 2023.
- The hike affects most regions except the US, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Japan.
- Xbox Game Pass and Ultimate subscriptions will also see their first-ever monthly price rise.
Microsoft is preparing to crank up the price tag on the Xbox Series X console in a vast array of nations, according to an official announcement. This significant step is geared towards better mirroring “competitive conditions” across the varied markets in line with the price hikes already implemented for Xbox Series S since early 2023.
Price Increases: The New Normal for Xbox Series X?
Global economies have recently been plagued with signs of stagnating growth, leading to a domino effect of price bumps across various goods and services providers. This response is a countermove to predicted economic recession. The gaming sphere was not immune, with Sony raising the PS5 prices across multiple countries in August 2022. Microsoft responded in kind, tweaking the price of Xbox Series S in diverse markets including India and Sweden.
In a candid conversation with The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed their plans to up the price ante of the Xbox Series X across a majority of the markets where it currently retails. This adjustment, slated for August, will see the price of Microsoft’s most potent current-gen console rise by up to 10%.
This translates to a price of CAD $649.99 in Canada, £479.99 in the UK, AUD $799.99 in Australia, and €549.99 in the EU. It’s worth noting that the US, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, and Japan will sidestep this pricing amendment, although Japan had its own Xbox Series X/S price increase in January 2023.
The Xbox Series X is currently available in 41 markets according to Microsoft’s support pages. This implies that this price hike will impact a whopping 36 of them. Ostensibly, the move aims to balance the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 pricing scales worldwide.
Xbox Series X and Global Market Dynamics
When Sony first ramped up PS5 prices, Phil Spencer, Xbox boss, was swift to guarantee that Microsoft wouldn’t follow suit, at least not immediately. However, with this upcoming adjustment mirroring Sony’s move a year later, the promised freeze period for the console prices will be shorter than some consumers may have anticipated.
Microsoft also dropped the news that it’s all set to raise the prices of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the first time ever. Starting July 2023, the basic tier of the service will fetch $10.99 per month, a dollar increase from the current price.
The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription will see a 13.5% surge, rocketing to $16.99 from the current monthly cost of $14.99. This adjustment will also possibly affect the pricing of the Friends and Family plan, a special subscription tier equivalent to five Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships. As it stands, this service is available only in eight markets at a price that’s marginally cheaper than two Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions.
Source: The Verge