Bummer! Microsoft to raise the price of Xbox Series X, Game Pass

If you’re in the market for the Xbox Series X, now is the time to snap it up as its prices will soon get hiked, Microsoft has announced.

Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s latest console. (Unsplash)

It's really bad news for gamers! After being almost steady since its launch, Microsoft is raising the price of its latest console, the Xbox Series X in select markets. While its cost will remain the same in the US, Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia, the rest of the world will see the retail price of Microsoft's most powerful console rise up. So, if you've been planning to get the Xbox Series X, now might be the time to snap it up, before revised pricing is introduced. However, the revised pricing does not affect Xbox Series S which will continue to sell at $299.

The reason behind the price hike

In a statement given to The Verge, Kari Perez, head of communications for Xbox said, “We've held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market.”

Starting August 1, Xbox Series X will be priced at £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 across most European markets, CAD $649.99 in Canada, and AUD $799.99. The revised pricing brings up the cost of the Xbox Series X at par with the PS5, which itself saw a price hike last year.

Game Pass hike

Not just Xbox Series X, but Game Pass prices for the consoles will also be hiked, Microsoft has announced. It will be the first time since its 2017 launch that Game Pass prices will see a revision, and while it could have been due to Microsoft's deal with Activision, that isn't the case, says Perez. “These Game Pass price adjustments are not related to the Activision Blizzard deal, and are intended to match local market conditions,” he said.

The base Xbox Game Pass will see a price revision from $9.99 a month up to $10.99, while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will move from $14.99 per month to $16.99. While new Game Pass members will see the price increase from July 6, recurring memberships won't be affected until August 13, or September 13 if you're in Germany.

Although this price hike will also affect most markets, the price of the Game Pass console will remain the same in Norway, Chile, Denmark, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia.