Inflation strikes again
In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft confirmed a price increase on the Xbox Series X coming to most countries. Planned to roll out on August 1, the price increase will apply to most countries apart from the US, Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia. This move practically mirrors Sony’s PlayStation 5 price increase that occurred last year.
According to the statement, the Xbox Series X will move to £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 across most European Markets, CAD $649.99 in Canada, and AUD $799.99 in Australia. The Xbox Series S will remain at $299.99 and not see any sort of increase.
“We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market,” said Kari Perez, head of communications for Xbox in their statement to The Verge.
Xbox Game Pass will see a price increase in most markets
Alongside the console price increase, the monthly cost of Xbox Game Pass for consoles will also be increasing. This price change will go into effect nearly a month earlier, on July 6. Under these changes, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will increase $2 from $14.99 per month to $16.99. The cost for the base Xbox Game Pass will increase by $1 from $9.99 per month to $10.99. The price of the PC Game Pass will not increase.
Of course, those already subscribed won’t see the price increase until their next subscription renewal on or after July 6.
Although a bummer, I’m not surprised by these increases. Sony increasing the cost of the PlayStation 5 in select markets made it a no-brainer that Microsoft would probably do the same. As for the Xbox Game Pass, I think we all saw this coming. Most entertainment subscriptions have seen an increase in the last year or so including Sony’s own PlayStation Plus. Hopefully Nintendo Switch Online won’t be following suit!
