Microsoft Increases Global Prices on Xbox Consoles, Controllers, Headsets, and Games Due to Market Conditions and Development Costs

Hey, so there’s like this wild thing with Xbox now. Microsoft throws down some hefty price tags on their Xbox Series S and X consoles. Plus, even controllers. Such a rollercoaster — even games got hit. Why? They say it’s all thanks to “market conditions” and rising costs. Classic excuse, right? Anyway, brace yourself because the Xbox Series X is now gonna lighten your wallet by $599.99. Oh, and if you’re eyeing that basic controller? That’s $64.99, thanks. And as for games when they drop? Now at $79.99. Fun times.

It’s kinda nuts how Microsoft just slipped this in on May 1. Suddenly, retailers are all adjusting prices. They think it’s cool to bump up new, first-party game prices to $79.99 by holiday season. Yeah, sure. So, Xbox Series X, with that 1TB? Now $599.99. Up a cool $100. The fancy Xbox Series X with 2TB in Galaxy Black (because who doesn’t need that?) jumps to $729.99. Wild. Oh, and don’t forget about the Xbox Series X minus the Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, now $549.99. The 512GB Xbox Series S hiked by $80 to $379.99. Then there’s the 1TB version at $429.99. Phew.

Okay, side note — there’s this price list thingy you can swipe through, but who’s got time for that? Guess Xbox thinks we’re all magically richer? Anyway, controllers are $64.99 now. And headsets, those fancy sound thingies, jacked up to $119.99. Upcoming games, especially during the holiday, sit pretty at $79.99. Like, Nintendo made moves with their Mario Kart World and now everyone’s hiking prices. Great.

Now, these changes are hitting not just U.S. shores. Australia, Europe, the U.K., they’re feeling it. Microsoft’s waving this banner about development costs going up and some political trade drama that’s so good, it’s basically a coffee table conversation. They said something like, hey, these price bumps are tough, but we thought it through. Thanks for that.

Oh, right! The Xbox Game Pass? Stays the same, no price shock there. Which is surprising, since they were just hiking stuff last year, mid-2024 or something, and again in June 2023. Weird timing, huh?

Anyway, if you wanna keep up with juicy tech bits — or, well, less juicy price hikes — there’s this gig with Tom’s Hardware on Google News. You might wanna check that out, I guess. Maybe I’ll do it too. Someday.

And there you have it. Another day, another dollar… or maybe a few hundred.