Apple raising prices across a number of product categories made it clear there’s no save haven from the memory shortage-driven price hikes for technology fans. Almost as if to emphasise the point, Xbox has followed suit by increasing what its asking for its six year old Xbox Series S|X games consoles for the second time in less than twelve months.
Usually at this point in a console’s life-cycle we’re starting to see deep discounts on machines due to streamlined production, high inventory and slowing demand amid anticipation for the next-generation. Thanks to how hard RAM and storage currently is to come by, the opposite is true. These things weren’t that popular five years ago when they were the new big thing, and much cheaper. I wish Xbox well in selling them now.
Anyhow, Microsoft announced that prices are going up across the board. The Xbox Series S consoles are increasing in price by $100 and the Series X consoles are going to cost you $150 more in the United States. Right now it’s unclear whether the UK or other regions will be affected but it feels inevitable
The Xbox Series S 512GB, for example, is going up from $399 to $499. I’m pretty sure you’ve been able to get those for half that at certain points during the last few years. The top device in the range, Xbox Series X 1TB with a disc drive is now an insane $799. Eight hundred dollars.
The increase comes less than a year after Microsoft bumped the prices by $20-$70. Microsoft says it hoped to avoid another bump, but a 2.5x increase in the cost of both memory and storage has made the situation untenable. Furthermore, it seems the company isn’t ruling out another increase because those component prices are set to double again by next autumn.
“The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make,” Microsoft writes in a blog post.
The company is hoping to mitigate the increases with some new programs that include buy now pay later, interest free financing, better deals on pre-owned machines and certified refurbished consoles that are $100 cheaper.
The new prices go into effect from August 1 and are as follows:
- Xbox Series S 512GB goes to $499 from $399
- Xbox Series S 1TB goes to $599 from $449
- Xbox Series X 1TB Digital goes to $749 from $599
- Xbox Series X 1TB Disc goes to $799 from $649
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