Bad news, Xbox gamers: Consoles and video game prices are going up
Starting today, Microsoft will be raising the recommended retail prices of its Xbox consoles and controllers, and video games are next. Microsoft says some new first-party games will see a holiday season price increase to $79.99.
The news was announced on a May 1 blog post on the Xbox support blog.
The blog post reads, “We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.”
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While Microsoft cites “market conditions” and the “rising cost” of development, the company didn’t mention tariffs specifically. However, we’ve already seen a wave of tariff-related price increases, with more likely to come in the near future.
And Xbox isn’t the only platform potentially raising prices. Nintendo alarmed some Switch gamers when it announced that the Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World would be priced at $80. Video game prices have stayed relatively flat for decades, and as we noted at the time, the Mario Kart World price could be a harbinger of more price increases to come. In fact, a price adjustment may be overdue.
However, the Microsoft announcement did leave the company some wiggle room. The company said they "expect to adjust the pricing of some of our new, first-party games starting this holiday season to $79.99." (Emphasis added.)
Mashable reached out to Microsoft for comment on the Xbox price changes, and we'll update this article if we receive more information.
Topics Microsoft Xbox Video Games
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
