Look, I’m not even going to candy coat this, so it’s probably a good thing this isn’t YouTube. We, gamers, are basically fucked. We’ve had to deal with several price hikes across console and PC hardware, and now here’s another one, with Xbox revealing that it is raising the prices for its Xbox Series X|S consoles.
Starting on August 1, 2026, here are the new price points, in case you were looking to pick up an Xbox console.
- Xbox Series X 1TB – Old Price $649.99 / New Price $799.99
- Xbox Series X 1TB Digital – Old Price $599.99 / New Price $749.99
- Xbox Series S 1TB – Old Price $449.99 / New Price $599.99
- Xbox Series S 512GB – Old Price $399.99 / New Price $499.99
On top of that, Xbox is phasing out the 2TB Xbox Series X, because storage is getting as pricey as RAM, so it apparently makes no sense to sell a larger-sized console anymore.
As for that Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition that’s going to be released later this year, I don’t even want to think about how much that’s going to be priced. It’s already hard enough falling asleep.
Last October, we increased XBOX console price by $20-$70 in the U.S. We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027.
The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.Last October, we increased XBOX console price by $20-$70 in the U.S. We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options.
Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.
Honestly, I’m just going to say what everyone has been thinking. Xbox consoles have not been selling well for one reason or another, and now Xbox is raising the prices again? How do they expect to sell any of these when they are now sitting in the same price range as a PlayStation 5 and, in some cases, the PlayStation 5 Pro? Which also received a ridiculous price hike.
Personally, I can’t wrap my head around this. We’re supposed to pay less for older hardware. However, this new situation has flipped the script and we’re worse off for that. If you had told me that I’d end up paying more for an Xbox Series X|S after it was released, I would have laughed at you. But here we are.
Sadly, Xbox is among the other companies taking the hit due to our volatile market. The entire electronics and gaming market is struggling. Anything that is either a gaming console, PC, RAM, storage, or uses any of those things has seen price hikes. It’s not a good time, and truthfully, I’ve stopped believing that the bubble will burst. I just don’t see it anymore. And even if it does, I doubt companies will be in any rush to lower prices.
Regardless, it all still sucks and you can’t change my mind about that.
