Microsoft has decided to raise the price for the Xbox Series X. But for now, US consumers are being spared.
The company confirmed the price hike, which will occur this August, after The Verge initially reported the news. The price for the Xbox Series X is remaining unchanged in the US, Japan, Chile, Brazil and Columbia.
But in Europe, Canada, and Australia, consumers can expect a 6% to 10% price increase, or what can amount to around $50. “We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market,” Microsoft told The Verge.
At the same time, the company is following Sony in raising the prices for its own console, the PlayStation 5. Back in October, Sony made the same pricing change for all markets, except the US.
As a result, both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 disc-edition will now have the same price in some markets. For example, both products will cost £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 in the European Union, and then $649.99 in Canada.
While US users have so far avoided the console price increase, they won’t be able to dodge a price increase Microsoft is making to Xbox Game Pass. The company is raising the monthly cost for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $16.99, up from $14.99. Meanwhile, the base subscription for Xbox Game Pass for consoles is also increasing to $10.99, up from $9.99.
New Xbox Game Pass subscribers in most markets including the US will encounter the new pricing on July 6th. Meanwhile, existing subscribers will start paying the new prices in August or September.
The only good news is that pricing for the Xbox Series S and the Xbox PC Game Pass is staying put at $299.99 and $9.99 per month, respectively.
