Starting on October 3, Microsoft says Xbox consoles will be getting yet another price bump, this time ranging anywhere from a $20 increase on the company’s entry-level model to $70 for a special edition model with 2TB of storage. If all of this sounds familiar, there’s a good reason, the last time xbox prices were raised was only a few months ago in May.
The price increases breakdown as follows:
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Xbox Series S (512GB): $400, up $20 from $380
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Xbox Series S (1TB): $450 up $20 from $430
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Xbox Series X Digital: $600, up $50 from $550
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Xbox Series X: $650, up $50 from $600
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Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition: $800, up $70 from $730
Those are fairly significant increases, especially when you start comparing Microsoft’s higher-end Xbox Series X consoles to the competition. For example, the Series X Digital (which doesn’t have a disc drive) now costs $50 more than a PS5 Digital Edition. For the $800 Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition, price comparisons are even worse. It’s now more expensive than the $750 PS5 Pro, and at least Sony’s console gets you better performance for its high price.
Engadget has reached out to Microsoft for more information on the price changes. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
As of right now, Microsoft credits the need to raise prices on “changes in the macroeconomic environment,” which likely has to do with the impact tariffs implemented by the Trump administration are having on importing electronics into the US. It’s worth noting, however, that the company has also been shifting its focus away from home consoles in favor of bringing the “Xbox experience” to other platforms.
Sometimes, that’s just by publishing formerly Xbox exclusive games on the PS5 and Switch, but it also includes creating the first Xbox handheld with ASUS and emphasizing Xbox game streaming wherever it makes sense. Given the frequent sales on the Xbox Series S, there’s a world where Microsoft’s entry-level console might still be worth considering. For anything else, though, streaming or waiting for games to come to other platforms increasingly seems like it makes the most financial sense.
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