Xbox Series X and Series S prices increase up to 43%

On August 3, 2026, Microsoft disclosed that Xbox console prices will rise significantly, affecting both the premium and the entry-level models.

Price increase for Xbox Series X

The premium Xbox Series X console, which includes a disc drive, went from £500 to £670, reflecting a £170 increase.

Increase in cost of Xbox Series S

The entry-level Xbox Series S, previously sold for £300, now costs £430, representing roughly a 43% rise. In the United States, the basic console jumped $100 to $499, while the higher-memory version rose $150 to $749. In the European Union, the Series S version with extra storage is about €200 more expensive.

Reasons cited by Microsoft

The company attributes the adjustments to rising memory and storage chip costs. RAM, once cheap, saw its price skyrocket partly due to demand from artificial-intelligence firms. Graphics-card prices, a key console component, also rose because of their use in AI content generation. Microsoft said in June it did not expect another hike, but acknowledged the necessity given these costs.

Consumer and market reaction

User X @BlackPanthaa described the new Series S price as "absolutely disgusting", while a Reddit user called it "highway robbery". Editor Jez Corden of Windows Central wrote "This ain't even the ceiling". Sony had already raised the PlayStation 5 price by £90 in March, and Valve launched its PC-console hybrid at a higher-than-expected cost. Amazon’s gaming chief warned that rising hardware costs could push more people to abandon consoles and opt for streaming.

Impact on sales and Microsoft’s strategy

Recently, Microsoft’s gaming division reported a revenue decline. In July, the company began what executives called "the most significant restructuring in Xbox history", with roughly 3,200 job cuts.

With information from BBC News.