Xbox Prices Skyrocket: New Consoles Hit $600, Games to Cost $80 Starting Holiday 2025

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Summary

  • Microsoft has significantly increased Xbox hardware prices and bumped up first-party games by $10.
  • Xbox Series X now costs $600, the Series S has been hiked to $380, and numerous accessories are more expensive as well.
  • Starting holiday 2025, new Xbox first-party game prices will rise to $80, in line with some Nintendo Switch 2 titles.

Microsoft has unveiled significant price rises affecting the entire range of their Xbox hardware products, such as the Series X/S consoles, controllers, and headsets. These price adjustments take effect straight away, but there’s more to come. In addition, the prices for Xbox first-party games are set to rise to $80 later in the year.

Since the debut of Xbox Series X/S towards the end of 2020, Microsoft has kept a consistent pricing structure in the US, with the Series X priced at $500 and Series S at $300. Despite international price hikes in 2023 and the ongoing industry-wide inflation and economic difficulties, Microsoft has been resilient in preserving its domestic prices. However, this stability is coming to an end, as Microsoft has announced a significant across-the-board price increase for Xbox products, marking one of the largest increases in years.

Starting right away, the price of the Xbox Series S (512GB) goes up from $300 to $380, while the Series S (1TB) increases from $350 to $430. The standard Series X will now sell for $600, which is only $100 less than the PS5 Pro’s price. Its 2TB Galaxy Special Edition will set you back $730, more than the stronger Sony console. Xbox controllers now range from $65 to $90 depending on the type, and the Elite Series 2 controllers can cost as much as $200. The price of the Xbox Wireless Headset will also increase to $120 in the US and Canada.

Xbox Price Hikes in May 2025

Xbox Hardware

  • Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Core): $149.99 (up from $139.99)
  • Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Full): $199.99 (up from $179.99)
  • Xbox Series S 512GB: $379.99 (up from $299.99)
  • Xbox Series S 1TB: $429.99 (up from $349.99)
  • Xbox Series X Digital: $549.99 (up from $449.99)
  • Xbox Series X: $599.99 (up from $499.99)
  • Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition: $729.99 (up from $599.99)
  • Xbox Stereo Headset: $64.99
  • Xbox Wireless Headset: $119.99 (up from $109.99)
  • Xbox Wireless Controller (Core): $64.99
  • Xbox Wireless Controller (Color): $69.99
  • Xbox Wireless Controller Special Edition: $79.99
  • Xbox Wireless Controller Limited Edition: $89.99 (up from $79.99)

Xbox Games

  • AAA first-party game prices to cost $80 (up from $70) starting holiday 2025

In addition to the rise in hardware costs, Microsoft has announced that it will start charging $80 for new Xbox exclusive games starting from the 2025 holiday season. This move makes Xbox the second publisher to adopt the debated pricing strategy that Nintendo has recently implemented for some first-party Switch 2 games. Anticipated Xbox titles slated for launch at the increased price of $80 include the next installment of Call of Duty, Fable, Perfect Dark, Clockwork Revolution, Gears of War: E-Day, and others. Microsoft justified the price hike by citing current market conditions and escalating development costs as key factors.

It’s not surprising that many Xbox enthusiasts have expressed dissatisfaction with the across-the-board price increases, notably the $80 for AAA first-party games. Notably, Microsoft boosted the prices of first-party Xbox games from $60 to $70 in 2023, and only two years later, they’ve opted for another $10 rise. This pattern of regular base price increases for games is unprecedented in the industry. Nintendo’s move into the $80 price range for first-party games appears to be encouraging other publishers and platform holders to consider this strategy as well. We’ll have to wait and see if big names like Sony, EA, Take-Two, and others adopt a similar approach in the near future.

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2025-05-01 18:09