What have you done, Nintendo? Just weeks after announce that Nintendo Switch 2 games will cost upwards of $80 each -- a $10 price increase from the current levels -- Microsoft has now followed suit.
Microsoft announced today that it will be raising prices on its Xbox consoles, controllers, headsets, and games. The new, increased prices for consoles and accessories are effective immediately, May 1st, giving consumers no time to get ahead of them.
The price for both the Xbox Series S 512GB and 1TB consoles will increase by $80 from their current prices, while the Xbox Series X Digital and Disc will increase $100 from their current prices. The box Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition will jump $130 in cost. The new updated prices for Xbox consoles and accessories in the U.S. are now as follows:
- 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)
The price of games will stay the same for now, although we can expect to see the $79.99 price point for some new, first-party Xbox games around the holiday season. Microsoft didn't specifically mention which games will launch at this new $79.99 price point, although some major first-party titles coming out include the next mainline Call of Duty, the new Fable, the Perfect Dark reboot, The Coalition's Gears of War: E-Day, and Undead Labs' State of Decay 3.
It's not guaranteed that all of these games will launch at the new $80 mark though, and the good thing about Xbox is that all first-party titles are playable for free at launch with Game Pass. So this seems to be another incentive to subscribe to the gaming service and pay just $20 a month to access the full Xbox first-party library rather than $80 for a single game. It will be interesting to see if another Game Pass price increase is coming alongside these new prices.
"We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development," Microsoft said in a statement. "Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players."
Many have been quick to point to the U.S. imposed tariffs as the reason behind the price hikes. However, that doesn't appear to be the primary factor as these price increases are taking effect globally, with the exception of headset prices, which are only raising in the U.S. and Canada.
Rather, this appears to be a classic case of greed. Microsoft sees that Nintendo got away with it for the Switch 2 and is now following suit. With the floodgates now open, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony announce similar price increases soon. And, of course, this now paves the way for Rockstar to get away with charging $80 for Grand Theft Auto 6, and possibly even more.