Microsoft has increased the cost of the Xbox Series X by $100, a 20% price increase on the video game console that launched in 2020. And that’s not the only price hike announced on Thursday. Games as well as controllers and other peripherals are going up in price, too, as is the Xbox Series S.
“We understand that these changes are challenging,” Microsoft said in a post on the Xbox support website, “and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.”
Here’s a breakdown of the price increases, which are effective as of May 1, 2025:
For those who have already purchased a modern Xbox, games will be going up in price beginning this holiday season. According to the announcement, first-party games — that is, games designed and published by Microsoft or Microsoft-owned studios — will go up to $79.99.
Microsoft’s Xbox hardware business has been a bit off this generation. It recently told investors that hardware sales were down about 6% in the previous quarter. But the pricing announcement comes in the face of a challenging macroeconomic landscape for video gaming broadly. The industry has been plagued by game cancellations and massive layoffs for the better part of three years now. Add to that United States President Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariffs, which are a tax on imported goods including video game consoles, and the situation appears chaotic.