Microsoft is raising the prices of its Xbox Series X console as well as the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. The price hike for the Series X will take place in almost all markets, save for the US, Japan, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil, while the Xbox Game Pass will be seeing its price increase across all countries. The tech company stated that the price hike is an adjustment that will “reflect the competitive conditions in each market,” in a statement made to The Verge.
The Xbox Series X will now come at a similar cost to the PS5 following the competitor console’s price hike last year. Prices of the Series X will now look like this:
- UK – £479.99
- Europe – €549.99
- Canada – $649.99
- Australia – $799.99
It’s worth mentioning that the price hike will only apply to the Xbox Series X. The Series S will remain at its usual price across all markets.
As for the Xbox Game Pass, both the base subscription and the Ultimate edition for consoles will receive price increases. The base pass will go up a dollar to $10.99 (or €10.99 / £8.99), whereas the Ultimate pass will hike by two dollars to $16.99 (or €14.99 / £12.99). The PC Game Pass won’t be affected by this, however, so don’t worry if you’re a subscriber to that service already. The Game Pass price changes won’t take effect until August 13, or September 13 in Germany, so you’ll still have a couple of months left. If you already have a yearly plan for the Xbox Game Pass, the new price will only take effect upon renewing your subscription.
Here are the new prices for a few Asian countries for reference:
- Japan – ¥1210 Ultimate, ¥935 Base
- Korea – ₩13500 Ultimate, ₩8500 Base
- Singapore – S$15.9 Ultimate, S$10.9 Base
Microsoft had already increased its first-party game prices to $70 in 2023, and with both the Series X and Xbox Game Pass similarly experiencing price hikes, current and future Xbox users will have to shell out a bit more money to play games this year.
Source: The Verge