Starting next month, Microsoft will be drastically raising the prices of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles in the United States. This is the second price hike that Microsoft’s gaming consoles have seen this year in the wake of President Trump’s increased tariffs on foreign countries.
Following this next price increase, the basic versions of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X will be $100 and $150 more expensive, respectively, than they were at launch in 2020. While I already own an Xbox Series X console, I’m disappointed, if not surprised, that Microsoft keeps raising the price of its gaming consoles due to macroeconomic conditions in the United States.
How much is the second Xbox Series X and Xbox Series price increase in 2025?
Buying an Xbox console is about to get even more expensive
Microsoft quietly announced this second price increase for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles on a support page for its console hardware. On October 3, the following retail prices will be set for these five versions of current-generation Xbox consoles:
- Xbox Series S: $400 (previously $380)
- Xbox Series S 1TB: $450 (previously $430)
- Xbox Series X: $649 (previously $600)
- Xbox Series X Digital: $600 (previously $550)
- Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition: $800 ($730)
At the very least, the prices of Xbox peripherals aren’t going up at this time, and Xbox has backtracked on releasing The Outer Worlds 2 at $80. Microsoft says it is making the changes due to “changes in the macroeconomic environment,” but even goes on to admit that these price hikes are pretty unforgiving with the following message on its support page:
We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and providing value for Xbox players.
Earlier this year, new tariffs were introduced by United States President Donald Trump, which made goods and materials produced outside of this country much more expensive. In response, several tech companies have had to raise the prices of their physical products, while gaming companies were hit particularly hard.
Over the past several months, the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch consoles have all gone up in price. Now, Microsoft has been hesitant to reveal the price of its ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, and Xbox consoles are increasing in price for a second time. It’s unknown if and when they will return to their original levels.
If you really want to buy an Xbox console, I recommend you do so before October 3. After that, it’ll be tough to justify picking up dedicated Xbox hardware when all of Xbox Game Studios’ games and Game Pass are available on PC, and similar amounts of money can be spent upgrading one to play modern games. That’s disappointing, as I’ve really enjoyed using my Xbox Series X for the past several years.
