'Nobody was buying them so it doesn't really matter' — Xbox console price hike hits the UK
- Earlier this year, Microsoft confirmed that the price of Xbox consoles would rise in August, but did not reveal how much they would cost in the UK
- Now the prices are public, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative
- It follows a wider trend of increased prices driven by the sharp rise in the cost of RAM
Earlier this year, Microsoft confirmed that it would be raising the prices of its Xbox consoles worldwide in August, but it left the prices outside of the US a mystery. Now the price hike has actually arrived, we know how much everything now costs in the UK — and it's pretty bleak.
The price of the once entry-level 512GB Xbox Series S has shot up by £130 to an eye-watering £429.99. That's more than the newer Nintendo Switch 2 system, which retails for £395.99.
A 1TB Xbox Series X is now £669.99 (up from £499.99), meaning that there's only a £120 difference between it and the competing PlayStation 5 Pro, which costs £789.99 despite offering significantly more storage and more powerful specs.
You can see all the price changes below:
Old price | New price | |
Xbox Series S 512GB | £299.99 | £429.99 |
Xbox Series S 1TB | £349.99 | £519.99 |
Xbox Series X 1TB All-Digital | £449.99 | £619.99 |
Xbox Series X 1TB Disc | £499.99 | £669.99 |
Here are the new prices in the US, which were announced back in June, for comparison:
Old price | New price | |
Xbox Series S 512GB | $399 | $499 |
Xbox Series S 1TB | $449 | $599 |
Xbox Series X 1TB All-Digital | $599 | $749 |
Xbox Series X 1TB Disc | $649 | $899 |
The raised prices come as the consumer electronics market is being squeezed by a global RAM shortage, which has caused the cost of key components to skyrocket. Market analysts have also said that the US-Israel war with Iran could further compound issues.
The price of other devices like laptops, phones, and tablets has also risen, but video game consoles are often sold with slim, or sometimes no, margin, which makes manufacturers particularly susceptible to rising costs.
Back in April, Sony raised the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles by $100 / £100, citing "continued pressures in the global economic landscape". Only Nintendo has not put up the cost of its hardware since it released, though a former employee has warned that it is "inevitable."
Although part of a wider trend, the reaction to the new Xbox prices has still been overwhelmingly negative. A user on gaming forum Resetera described it as the "final nail in the coffin" for Xbox, which has struggled with sharply declining sales year-over-year.
"Makes no difference, no one is buying them either way," wrote another commenter, with others remarking on how difficult it can be to even find any Xbox products on sale in stores in Europe.
Even users that have already bought systems at lower prices seem worried: "My main concern is if a console breaks I can't afford another," one added.
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