Microsoft is Raising Prices for Game Pass and Xbox Series X
- Laurent Giret
- Jun 21, 2023
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Microsoft is about the raise the price of its Xbox Series X console for the first time. Xbox Game Pass will also get its first price hike starting next month, The Verge is reporting today.
After Sony announced PlayStation 5 price increases except in the US last year, Microsoft also won’t be raising the price of its Xbox Series X in the US as well as Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia. However, starting in August 2023, the Series X will be priced at £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 in most European countries, CAD $649.99 in Canada, and AUD $799.99 in Australia.
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Microsoft won’t be raising the price of its Xbox Series S console, which is currently priced at $299 in the US. A black version of the Xbox Series S with 1TB of storage is also available for pre-order at $349.99 and will start shipping on September 1.
“We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market,” said Kari Perez, head of communications for Xbox, in a statement to The Verge.
As for Game Pass, price increases will start on July 6 for new subscribers. Xbox Game Pass for Console will go from $9.99/month to $10.99/month (€10.99 / £8.99), while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will go from $14.99/month to $16.99/month (€14.99 / £12.99). PC Game Pass, however, will remain at $9.99/month.
For existing Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, these price increases will go into effect on August 13 (September 13 in Germany). If you live in Norway, Chile, Denmark, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia, however, you won’t have to pay more for your Xbox Game Pass subscription.
“These Game Pass price adjustments are not related to the Activision Blizzard deal, and are intended to match local market conditions,” Perez told The Verge. Xbox Game Pass has been around since 2017 and the service has been providing more value over time with day-one releases of Xbox Games Studios titles and a couple of third-party games. If a price increase was inevitable at some point, Game Pass should still remain one of the best deals in gaming in the foreseeable future.