Microsoft announced price increases on Thursday for its Xbox consoles, controllers, and some games.
The affected consoles, which include Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S models, will increase in price between $80 and $100 each, depending on the console.
These consoles were first released almost five years ago, with the basic Xbox Series S and Series X models costing $299.99 and $499.99, respectively. Now, Microsoft is recommending that retailers bump the prices to $379.99 for the most basic Xbox Series S model, and $599.99 for the Xbox Series X.
The standard Xbox Wireless Controller will now cost $64.99, with the Elite Series 2 controllers climbing up to $149.99 and $199.99, depending on the model. Xbox is also raising the prices of its first-party games — the company said that beginning this holiday season, some games will cost $79.99.
Xbox seems to be following in the footsteps of Nintendo, which also hiked the standard price of its first-party games from $59.99 to $79.99 for titles on the upcoming Switch 2 console.
Microsoft did not provide much information about the reasoning behind the price increases, but said that the choice was made with “careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development.”
This is likely a reference to President Donald Trump’s administration’s plans to levy steep tariffs on goods from other countries, which also impacted the preorder process for the Nintendo Switch 2. Like Xbox, Nintendo chose to raise prices on some accessories, though it maintained its plans to release the console for $449.99.
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Amanda Silberling
Senior Writer
Amanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture. She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider. She is the co-host of Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture, with science fiction author Isabel J. Kim. Prior to joining TechCrunch, she worked as a grassroots organizer, museum educator, and film festival coordinator. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos.
Send tips through Signal, an encrypted messaging app, to (929) 593-0227. For anything else, email amanda@techcrunch.com.
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