Microsoft’s been fiddling with prices again, and honestly, I kinda get it—market stuff and money talks, right? So, here’s the lowdown: Xbox Series S and X, plus controllers, headsets, and even the games? Yep, those too, they’ve all gotten a price bump. Roll your eyes if you want; I did.
Now the Xbox Series X sets you back $599.99/€599.99. And those controllers? $64.99/€64.99—bit of a sticker shock, isn’t it? Plus, first-party games—do we call them the insider originals?—hit $79.99 this holiday season. Xbox Game Pass, weirdly enough, dodged the hike. Lucky, right?
These price jumps were official as of May 1. Microsoft’s been scribbling down numbers and voila—consoles, controllers, and some new first-party releases are looking a tad more expensive. It’s like they peered into the crystal ball and decided $79.99 is the magic number.
The Series X with 1TB storage? It’s hitting $599.99, smacked up by $100. But hang tight, the posh Galaxy Black 2TB version shows a heftier $729.99. Ouch. If you’re squinting at the details, even the 4K Blu-ray drive version climbs to $549.99, a neat hundred buck hike. The 512GB Series S walks the plank to $379.99, while a 1TB version floats at $429.99.
Quick sidebar—no clue why, but my brain just fixates on these digits sometimes, like trying to remember random facts that feel useless until they aren’t. Anyway—right, consoles, the prices are jaw-dropping.
Accessories didn’t escape either. Controllers now flirt with $64.99, and headsets said, “Why not?” at $119.99. First-party games bloom to $79.99 during the holiday—seems like everyone’s taking a leaf out of Mario Kart World’s pricey book. Sigh.
These hikes? It’s a global reach—US and beyond, buddy. Australia, Europe, the UK—everyone’s strapped in for this rollercoaster. Apparently, chatted reasons include development costs just climbing up and the wild trade policy rodeo.
Microsoft’s like, “We get it, these changes kinda suck, but we’ve thought it through, promise!” Market vibes and dev costs—yep, those old chestnuts.
Funny enough, Xbox Game Pass keeps its cool, untouched for now. Maybe ‘cause last time they others got a bump was mid-2024, barely a turn of the calendar. Wild, huh? Before that, a minor tweak snuck in June 2023.
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