Microsoft Raises the Price of All Xbox Series Consoles, Xbox Games Confirmed to Hit $80 This Holiday

Microsoft is raising prices connected Xbox. By a lot.

In an announcement today, the institution said it volition beryllium raising prices connected Xbox consoles, controllers, headsets, and immoderate games. The terms hike for consoles and accessories kicks successful today, May 1, and portion crippled prices volition enactment the aforesaid for now, we should expect to spot Xbox charging $79.99 for new, first-party games astir the vacation season.

Price increases are taking effect globally, with the objection of headset prices, which are lone going up successful the U.S. and Canada.

Going forward, present are the expected prices connected assorted Xbox consoles and accessories successful the U.S.:

• Xbox Series S 512 - $379.99 (up from $299.99)
• Xbox Series S 1TB - $429.99 (up from $349.99)
• Xbox Series X Digital - $549.99 (up from $449.99)
• Xbox Series X - $599.99 (up from $499.99)
• Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition $729.99 (up from $599.99)

• Xbox Wireless Controller (Core) - $64.99
• Xbox Wireless Controller (Color) - $69.99
• Xbox Wireless Controller - Special Edition - $79.99
• Xbox Wireless Controller - Limited Edition - $89.99 (up from $79.99)
• Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Core) - $149.99 (up from $139.99)
• Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Full) - $199.99 (up from $179.99)
• Xbox Stereo Headset -$64.99
• Xbox Wireless Headset - $119.99 (up from $109.99)

You tin spot different terms changes by portion connected the authoritative Xbox announcement leafage here.

Microsoft issued IGN with the pursuing connection arsenic to wherefore the terms increases were taking place:

“We recognize that these changes are challenging, and they were made with cautious information fixed marketplace conditions and the rising outgo of development. Looking ahead, we proceed to absorption connected offering much ways to play much games crossed immoderate surface and ensuring worth for Xbox players.”

First-party Microsoft games we tin presume volition outgo $80 see the adjacent mainline Call of Duty, the caller Fable, which was precocious delayed to 2026, the Perfect Dark reboot, inXile’s Clockwork Revolution, Rare's Everwild, which Microsoft gaming brag Phil Spencer precocious checked out, The Coalition's Gears of War: E-Day, Hideo Kojima’s OD, and Undead Labs' State of Decay 3. Psychonauts developer Double Fine is besides moving connected a caller game.

Microsoft has an Xbox Games Showcase 2025 arsenic good arsenic an The Outer Worlds 2 Direct planned for June, wherever fans volition nary uncertainty find retired more.

This is the archetypal clip we've seen a terms hike connected Xbox Series S consoles since it launched successful 2020, with the institution committing to maintaining existing prices backmost successful 2022 erstwhile PlayStation raised prices connected the PS5. However, Xbox raised the terms connected the Xbox Series X successful 2023 successful astir countries, but not the U.S. And it has raised prices globally connected Xbox Game Pass aggregate times now.

Astonishing arsenic the magnitude these prices are expanding mightiness be, Microsoft raising prices successful the archetypal spot isn't precisely surprising. PlayStation did this nonstop happening successful the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand conscionable past week, for the 2nd clip successful 3 years.

And the full manufacture has been discussing and gradually implementing terms increases implicit the past fewer years, with AAA crippled prices jumping from $60 to $70 successful conscionable the past 5 years, and Nintendo going with $80 for upcoming Switch 2 exclusive Mario Kart World and immoderate different Switch 2 Edition games. The Switch 2 itself was precocious revealed to beryllium launching astatine $450, a terms that drew disapproval from Nintendo fans adjacent arsenic analysts admitted specified a precocious terms was apt inevitable amid existent economical conditions.

That was each earlier Nintendo was forced to reevaluate its console pricing successful the aftermath of recently announced and repeatedly fluctuating tariffs successful the U.S. Though the console ended up sticking astatine $450, accessory prices were not truthful lucky. Analysts fishy Nintendo whitethorn rise prices again post-launch, and the Entertainment Software Association warned that Nintendo would not beryllium alone:

“You cognize what? It's been absorbing with media sum astir video games and tariffs due to the fact that conscionable unfortunate coincidental timing that the Switch [2 reveal] was the aforesaid time arsenic President Trump's announcement. There are truthful galore devices we play video games on. There are different consoles, but arsenic I was saying, VR headsets, our smartphones, radical who emotion PC games, if we deliberation it's conscionable the Switch, past we aren't taking it seriously. This is going to person an impact.“And adjacent American-based companies, they're getting products that request to transverse into American borders to marque those consoles, to marque those games. And truthful there's going to beryllium a existent interaction careless of company. This is company-agnostic, this is an full industry. There's going to beryllium an interaction connected the full industry.”

It seems these are costly times to beryllium a gamer careless of your level of choice.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].