Xbox Increases Cost of Xbox Series X and Xbox GamePass – See Updated Prices Here
The Xbox Series X, Microsoft’s top gaming console, and its GamePass subscription service will experience a price increase, according to an announcement made by the company.
The Xbox Series X price will increase starting August 1 in all regions except the United States, Brazil, Chile, Japan, and Colombia. However, with the exception of a few, the price of GamePass is global and affects the countries mentioned above.
Microsoft and the Xbox Series X are following Sony’s lead here, as the Japanese giant has already raised the price of the PS5 in several regions. Now the Xbox Series X costs £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 in Europe and $649.99 in Canada.
There has been no talk of price increases in India yet. But the Xbox maker in particular has already hiked the prices of its flagship console several times in India. The console initially had a sticker price of Rs 49,990, but after several hikes, the Xbox Series X now costs Rs 55,990 or Rs 59,990 with the game bundle in India.
Now, it’s not clear whether the Xbox Series X will see another price jump in India, given that the rival – and arguably more popular console – the PS5 costs less at Rs 54,990 and is routinely available with deals.
However, the prices of different levels of GamePass have been increased in India. GamePass Ultimate for a month is now Rs 549 from Rs 499, and Game Pass for console is now Rs 379 from Rs 349.
In the US, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will increase from $14.99 to $16.99 per month, and Xbox Game Pass for Console will increase from $9.99 to $10.99 per month. PC Game Pass prices remain unchanged.
The Verge notes that for existing Game Pass monthly subscribers, the new prices won’t take effect until August 13 or September 13 in Germany, but as expected, all new Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have to follow the new prices starting July 6. .
“We’ve held our console prices for many years and have adjusted prices to reflect competitive conditions in all markets,” Xbox communications manager Kari Perez said in a statement to The Verge.
Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has been quite vocal about the impending price increase, and that in the long run Xbox GamePass prices would not be sustainable. “We’ve kept the price on our consoles, we’ve kept the price on the games … and our subscriptions. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I think at some point we’re going to have to raise the prices on certain things,” Spencer said last year.
