Microsoft raised global prices for the Xbox control unit, noting the increase in development costs and what it described “market conditions”.
Starting today, SBOX Series will rise by 50 pounds to a new price of 299.99 pounds, with the highest power of Xbox Series X by 20 pounds sterling – or 40 pounds of the model with additional storage.
It comes at a time when experts expect the prices to increase for consumers – which raises global economic uncertainty. However, Microsoft was not less than the increase.
Sony’s competition has already announced its high prices, with Digital Digital Digital version An increase of 40 pounds in the United Kingdom.
It represents a major change in the industry that will see prices decrease in the years that followed the release of the console.
“We understand that these changes are difficult,” Microsoft said in a blog post.
“They were made with carefully observed in light of market conditions and the high cost of development.”
The United States has seen more important prices than the UK, with the price of the X series increased by $ 100 (75 pounds) and $ 130 depending on the model.
Kidherine Gonzalez, founder of Rip & Tear Studios, told the BBC that the price height was “inevitable” and “reserved due to the current tariff disorders.”
“The players will suffer more, with a little hope for low prices,” he said.
“This can significantly affect the already modest microsoft sales Xbox and may lead to broader industry repercussions.
“Maybe this will not be the last rise in the price we see.”
Christopher Dring, who writes about the game industry in the BBC newsletter, has told the BBC that he expected the “harmful influence” of the American customs tariffs behind the global pricing decisions.
He said: “The United States is the largest market for video game devices, and instead of increasing prices there, it is possible that PlayStation can increase prices worldwide in an attempt to protect the American market, as much as they can,” he said.
Historically, in the years after the release of the console, the price will decrease, but this generation has seen the opposite.
Sony originally included PlayStation 5 Digital Edition at a price of 360 pounds in the United Kingdom when it was launched in 2020, but over the years it increased to 429.99 pounds.
Meanwhile, the cost of future Xbox games in the future is also, as the company revealed that it expected to cost “some of our new games” $ 79.99 in 2025.
This is the same retail price that Nintendo announced about the next Mario Cart World – a cost that caused anxiety among the players who called it “unknown”.
But unlike Mario Cart, who will cost less if purchased digitally and not in a material box, Microsoft said its new price will be the same in all areas.
He also explained that he did not plan to increase the current games price, only some of the new titles developed by the company itself.
But Microsoft refused to determine whether it was planning to increase the price of some future games in the United Kingdom as well.
“The local pricing may differ between countries and platforms,” the company said.
