Xbox Just Raised Prices, Because Apparently Your Wallet Wasn’t Suffering Enough
Let’s be real, 2024 has been a dumpster fire of a year for anyone who doesn’t own a hedge fund. Groceries cost more than a used Honda, rent is a joke that’s not funny, and now, in a move that screams “we’ve given up,” Microsoft has decided to slap a price hike on Xbox consoles and Game Pass subscriptions. Because why not? It’s not like we were all already bleeding cash from the ass-end of inflation.
Gamers, grab your pitchforks and your credit cards—because the latter is about to take a hit. On July 16, 2024, Microsoft officially confirmed that the Xbox Series X will now retail for $599.99 in the US, up from the already-bank-account-destroying $499.99. That’s a cool hundred bucks more for the privilege of playing Starfield at 30 FPS. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S—which was supposed to be the “budget-friendly” option for us poors—got a $50 bump to $349.99. Oh, and Game Pass Ultimate? That subscription you pay for so you can feel like you’re getting value? Yeah, that’s going up to $19.99 a month, because God forbid you have an extra latte to enjoy while you’re rage-quitting Call of Duty.
Let’s break down this absolute clownery, because I have feelings, and they’re mostly rage. First off, the official reason from Microsoft: “Rising production costs and currency fluctuations.” Ah yes, the corporate equivalent of “my dog ate my homework.” We’ve heard this song and dance from every company since the pandemic started. Chip shortages, shipping delays, inflation—these are all real things, sure. But at some point, you have to ask: is Microsoft just using the economy as an excuse to squeeze more cash out of a loyal fanbase that’s already been riding the struggle bus since 2020? Because it’s giving “we know you’ll pay it anyway.”
And let’s be real, they’re probably right. The Xbox fanbase is a special breed of masochist. They’ve been through the Red Ring of Death, the Xbox One launch disaster (“Always online? Who wants that?”), and the entire decade of Sony kicking their teeth in with exclusives. Yet they still show up, wallet in hand, ready to drop $70 on a game that will hit Game Pass in six months. Now Microsoft is testing the limits of that loyalty, and it’s giving major “let’s see how much we can charge before they riot” energy.
But here’s the kicker: this price hike is happening right as Xbox is losing the console war. Again. Sorry, Phil Spencer, but the sales numbers don’t lie. PlayStation 5 is outselling the Series X/S by a wide margin, and Nintendo Switch is still laughing all the way to the bank with decade-old hardware. So what does Microsoft do? They raise prices. Not a great strategy when your main competitor—Sony—has been holding steady at $499.99 for the PS5, and even dropped the price on the digital edition. It’s like showing up to a gunfight with a knife and then charging admission to watch.
The Game Pass price bump is the real dagger, though. That was supposed to be Xbox’s silver bullet. “Netflix for games,” they said. “A value proposition you can’t refuse,” they said. Now it’s $20 a month, which adds up to $240 a year. For context, that’s more than the cost of two full-priced AAA games, and you don’t even own anything. You’re just renting digital access to a library that’s slowly losing third-party titles because publishers realized they can make more money selling you the same game for $70. The math ain’t mathing, chief.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the Xbox Series S. That little box was supposed to be the savior of “next-gen on a budget.” Now it’s $350, which is $50 more than a Nintendo Switch OLED. And the Switch can actually play exclusives like Zelda and Mario, while the Series S can barely handle Baldur’s Gate 3 without looking like a potato. The value proposition is gone. It’s just a slightly less expensive way to play the same games you could get on a PC, if you had a PC, which you probably don’t because you’re buying an Xbox.
The timing of this announcement is also chef’s kiss. Right in the middle of summer, when everyone’s already broke from vacations, back-to-school shopping, and trying to afford air conditioning in a world that’s literally on fire. It’s like Microsoft looked at the economic landscape and said, “You know what would make this better? If we charged you more for the privilege of sitting in your underwear and playing Halo.”
Let’s not forget the global context, because it’s not just the US getting screwed. The UK, Europe, and Australia are all seeing similar hikes. In the UK, the Series X is now £499.99, up from £449.99. That’s a 11% increase, which is basically a tax on being a British gamer. And we all know how much the UK loves a tax. Meanwhile, in Japan, the price jump is even steeper, with the Series X going from ¥59,978 to ¥67,978. That’s almost $8,000 yen more for a console that still can’t play Final Fantasy VII Remake. Oof.
The real question is: what does this mean for the average gamer? For the casuals who just want to play Call of Duty and Madden, this might be the final straw. They’ll either stick with their Xbox One from 2013 (which is still getting games, bless its outdated heart) or they’ll jump ship to PlayStation, which is at least offering a stable price point. For the die-hard Xbox fans, this is
Final Thoughts
The Xbox price hike feels less like a necessary economic adjustment and more like a quiet admission that the console wars are giving way to a subscription-based future, where hardware is merely a loss-leading gateway to Game Pass. While Microsoft frames this as a response to volatile market conditions, the real cost to consumers isn't just the extra dollars at checkout—it's the erosion of the long-held promise that owning a console means fixed, predictable entry costs. Ultimately, this move risks alienating the very budget-conscious core that made Xbox a household name, trading goodwill for short-term margin in a gamble that may prove costly if players decide to simply wait out the next sale cycle.