Xbox is raising the price of its Xbox Series X and Game Pass for the very first time.
After Sony with its PS5, it’s Microsoft’s turn to officially increase the price of its latest generation console. The firm announces it with regret, after having tried to maintain a stable situation as long as possible. The Xbox Series X will soon pass from 499€ to 549€, i.e. a 10% increase in the recommended retail price. AT The Verge, the company explains its choice:
“We have maintained our console prices for many years and adjusted them to reflect competitive conditions in each market.”
Microsoft will at least have managed to maintain its prices longer than its competitor, increasing the price of its console almost a year later. It was, however, inevitable, as Phil Spencer had already explained during the holiday season. In question, inflation which continues to increase the price of raw materials but also the costs of manufacturing and delivery, despite the increasing availability of the console at resellers.
The Xbox Game Pass is not spared
Another flagship that will soon increase: the Xbox Game Pass. Currently available at a price of €9.99 per month for the classic or PC version, and €12.99 per month for the Ultimate version, the video game on demand subscription will for the first time see its price take a few cents . In many countries – which exclude the United States, Japan, Chile, Brazil and Colombia – the service will increase to €10.99 and €14.99 respectively.
It’s a slightly larger increase that should directly impact players’ wallets in the long term. That said, given the quality of the service, its many advantages and the quantity of games in the catalog, it remains a very honest and even still attractive price. The price increase is not yet effective, so now is the time to invest if you want to save for an extra month.
The Xbox Series S is not affected
The good news of the day is that all Microsoft consoles are not affected by the price increase. Indeed, the Xbox Series S is not at all in the line of sight of the firm, and remains at its initial price of 299€. This is a slightly less powerful version without a disc drive, but even more design and everything more modern to take advantage of the Game Pass.
Recently, Microsoft also announced the arrival of a little news, the Xbox Series S in black color and 1TB of internal SSD storage. This will still be offered at a price of €349 from September 1st. However, it is already available for pre-order.
