Gaming
Microsoft jacks up prices for Xbox Series X and Game Pass
Microsoft thinks consoles are too affordable for us common folk.
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Well, folks, if you’ve been saving up for an Xbox Series X, it might be time to break open that piggy bank. But hold your horses if you’re in the US, Japan, Chile, Brazil, or Colombia – this news isn’t for you.
For everyone else, though? Brace yourselves.
Starting August 1st (mark your calendars), Microsoft is hiking up the prices of its Xbox Series X console. Here’s a quick rundown and everything you need to know:
If you live outside the aforementioned ‘lucky’ countries, prepare for a shocker.
The console will now cost:
- 650 CAD in Canada (that’s about 520 USD)
- £480 in the UK (around 665 USD)
- €550 across most European nations (approximately 650 USD)
- A whopping 800 AUD down under in Australia (roughly 590 USD).
These increases are pretty much in sync with Sony’s PS5 price changes last year. So no surprises there.
According to Kari Perez from the Xbox communications team:
“We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect competitive conditions in each market.”
Moreover, Microsoft Japan echoes the sentiment with its own statement, adding a touch of understanding:
“After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country. We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions. This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect.” via Gematsu
Subscription services get a boost too!
Nothing is sacred because even Game Pass Ultimate is also getting pricier – jumping from $15 per month to a cool $17, while the regular Game Pass will cost an extra dollar at $11 per month.
The good news is that PC Game Pass stays put, and some countries, like Norway, Chile etc., won’t see any increase either.
New members get hit by these changes starting July 6th, while existing subscribers have until August 13th before they feel the pinch.
| Product | Old Price | New Price |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X (Canada) | $599 CAD | $650 CAD |
| Xbox Series X (UK) | £449 | £480 |
| Xbox Series X (Europe) | €499 | €550 |
| Xbox Series X (Australia) | $749 AUD | $800 AUD |
| Xbox Series S | – | – |
| Black model with 1TB storage for series S | – | $349 |
| Game Pass per month | $10 | $11 |
| Game Pass Ultimate per month | $15 | $17 |
No More Games For Old Consoles
Microsoft Studios aren’t making games for old pal Xbox One anymore but don’t fret. You can still stream upcoming titles like Starfield and Fable through Game Pass Ultimate on older consoles.
This marks Microsoft’s first hike since launching Game Pass back in 2017 as part of shifting away from Xbox Live Gold. It was bound to happen sooner or later, given how crucial Game Pass has become to their business model.
You’d think that after all this time, we’d see a drop in price for something like the Series X but alas.
Despite Phil Spencer stating that supply had increased recently, it seems inflation and currency fluctuations are forcing us gamers into digging deeper into our pockets than expected.
Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- Get three months of Xbox Live Gold for just a measly $8
- Grab Diablo IV Standard Edition on Xbox for a sinfully low $65
- Is Genshin Impact on Xbox?
- EON brings the original Xbox to modern screens
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
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