Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 3
Microsoft Lifts Xbox Series X to £670 as Chip Costs Drive £170 Global Price Hike
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 3

Microsoft Lifts Xbox Series X to £670 as Chip Costs Drive £170 Global Price Hike

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 3

Summary

  • Microsoft raised Xbox prices worldwide, taking the disc-drive Series X to £670 from £500 and the base Series S to £430 from £300 in the UK.
  • Rising memory and storage costs drove the increase, with RAM and graphics components becoming more expensive partly because AI demand has tightened supply.
  • US prices also climbed, with the basic console up $100 to $499 and a higher-memory model up $150 to $749; EU buyers face increases of roughly €200 on some versions.
  • Sony already lifted PlayStation 5 prices by £90 in March, and Valve has also cited higher hardware costs, reinforcing fears that console prices may keep rising.
  • The increases land as Xbox faces pressure beyond hardware pricing: Microsoft said gaming revenue had dipped and cut about 3,200 jobs in a July restructuring.

Insights

Why is the Xbox Series S now priced like a former premium console, and does it still make sense for budget gamers?
With Xbox Series X now far above its launch price, will gamers pay more, wait longer, or switch platforms?
Are AI-driven memory shortages really forcing Xbox price hikes, or is Microsoft quietly resetting the console business model?