Microsoft is significantly increasing Xbox prices
Following the first price rise in October, a second one is now on the way. Microsoft is increasing the prices of Xbox consoles by up to 150 US dollars.
The triumvirate of console price rises is now complete. Following Sony in March and Nintendo in May each announced price rises for their consoles, Microsoft is now following suit.
From 1 August , the manufacturer is raising the prices of the Xbox Series S and Series X. At the same time, one model is being discontinued. The Xbox Series X in the two-terabyte configuration is no longer available in the range.
US prices increased – Europe likely to follow
So far, Microsoft has only published the new prices for the US market. Official announcements for European countries are still pending. As Microsoft has usually adopted previous dollar price increases in Europe on a one-to-one basis, this is likely to be the case this time as well.
Source: Florian Bodoky
Prices are rising by varying amounts depending on the configuration. Models with 512 gigabytes of storage are increasing in price by 100 US dollars. For variants with one terabyte of storage, Microsoft will charge an additional 150 US dollars in future.
In concrete terms, for the US market this means: the Xbox Series S with 512 gigabytes will cost US$499.99 instead of US$399.99. The 1-terabyte version of the Series S will rise from US$449.99 to US$599.99. The Xbox Series X is also set to become more expensive. The Digital Edition with one terabyte of storage will cost US$749.99 (previously US$599.99), whilst the version with a disc drive will rise in price from US$649.99 to US$799.99.
Second price rise within a year
Following last October’s price rise, this is already the second increase within 12 months. Microsoft cites developments in certain components as the main reason for this. The cost of memory chips and storage media has reportedly risen to more than two and a half times its previous level in recent months. Furthermore, Microsoft anticipates a further significant increase by autumn 2027. This is hitting the consumer electronics industry particularly hard. In some cases, retail prices for hardware are currently even below production costs.
Source: Florian Bodoky
To address this, new payment models are to be introduced: for instance, it will be possible to opt for instalment payments in the Microsoft Store. Purchases using interest-free credit are also set to be available via certain third-party retailers. In addition, there will be a regulated second-hand market. There, customers will be able to trade in old consoles or buy secondhand models at a lower price. Consoles returned to Microsoft are to be fully refurbished and resold at a lower price as well.
The new prices will apply from 1 August 2026. Microsoft has not yet announced when the final prices in euros and Swiss francs will be revealed.
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