Xbox raises prices on consoles, games and controllers worldwide

Some game prices to reach $80 by the end of 2025, while the Xbox Series X is now $600 in the US

Microsoft has raised the prices of Xbox consoles and controllers globally, while some new Xbox games will increase in price to $79.99 from this Holiday season.

The US is seeing the steepest price increases, with the Xbox Series X increasing by $100 to $599.99 and the base Series S model rising $80 to $429.99. In Europe, the Series X console has increased by €50 to €599.99, with the base Series S model is also up €50 to €349.99. And in the UK, prices are up just £20 for the Series X to £499.99, and the base Series S is now £50 more expensive at £299.99.

Full run-down of all the price increases, including controllers and headsets (in the US) can be found below. The increase in game pricing does not impact upcoming Xbox titles, including next month’s Doom: The Dark Ages.

The news follows similar pricing moves from PlayStation, which increased the price of its digital PS5 console by £40/$50 in the UK, Europe and Australia. Meanwhile, Nintendo Switch 2 pricing also raised eyebrows when it was revealed earlier in the month, with games, accessories and hardware significantly more expensive compared to the previous generation.

Further price increases have been widely expected, and has been caused by a number of factors, including the global tariffs imposed by the US on China and other markets. For video games, development costs have as much as tripled over the past five years, while hardware costs have also been impacted by high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates (in addition to tariffs).

The situation is a challenge for the video game industry. Price increases will be seen as necessary to ensure continued profitability and margin. However, it will likely have a detrimental impact upon audience numbers, and negatively influence the growth of premium video game players. However, the situation may lead to upsides for free-to-play games, at least in terms of user numbers.

Console makers are looking to offer value through other means. Xbox reminded The Game Business that first-party games purchased on the Xbox Store benefit from Xbox Play Anywhere, which means gamers can buy the game once and play it across Xbox and PC. Nintendo Switch 2 has also introduced a GameShare feature, which allows users to share their games with friends and family, even if they don’t own the title.

Here is a run-down of the price changes in US, Europe, UK and Australia: