Xbox consoles and accessories just got a lot more expensive, with "some" of the company's new first-party games set to match with Mario Kart World's $80 price tag later this year, too.
Announced today, the price increase on consoles and accessories is effective immediately, and globally. The United States and Canada appear to be the only countries to see changes in headset prices, however.
In the US, a standard Xbox Series X will now cost you $600 – up $100 from its previous $500 price tag. The digital Xbox Series X has had the exact same increase, now costing $550.
Meanwhile, 1TB and 512GB Xbox Series S models have both had a price increase of $80, costing $429.99 and $380, respectively. The 2TB Galaxy Special Edition Series X sees the biggest increase at $130 more, now costing a substantial $730.
Controller prices obviously vary depending on the model, with the Core wireless one now listed at $65, and the fancy Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 now costing $199.99 (or $149.99 for the Core version).
As for the games, Microsoft clarifies that the cost of existing Xbox titles won't change, but the $80 price will apply to "some new, first-party games starting this holiday season."
On the announcement page, you can find full lists of all the new prices in your region, so be sure to take a look at those if you're concerned about how much things are going to cost going forward.
"We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development," a statement included in the announcement reads. "Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players."
It was only a few weeks ago that Sony announced what was the second PS5 price hike in under three years in many regions, although customers in the United States were unaffected on that occasion. However, Nintendo also announced increases to its Switch 2 accessory prices in the US last month, only weeks after it outlined their original prices, "due to changes in market conditions." Thankfully, the price of the Switch 2 itself remains unchanged.
It remains to be seen what upcoming Xbox Series X games could be affected by the price increase.
