Well folks, it finally happened. Xbox just raised prices on consoles, controllers, headsets, and some future games. Why? "Market conditions," they say. You know, that magical catch-all phrase that means "you'll be paying more for the same thing, and we hope you don't ask too many questions."
The Xbox Series X is now $599 (was $499.99). The Series S is creeping dangerously close to $430 (was $349.99). The new special edition console with a 2TB hard drive? A cool $729.99 (was $599.99). Wireless controllers now start at $64.99 and can climb up to $199.99, which I assume comes with haptic regret and a direct hotline to Phil Spencer whispering sweet financial justifications.
And just in time for the holidays, new first-party Xbox games will be jumping to $79.99. That's right - Microsoft is joining Nintendo in making gaming a very expensive hobby.
Yes, tariffs are part of this. Yes, other companies are doing it too. But let's be real: it's exhausting. Gaming was never cheap, but now it's starting to feel like luxury reserved only for the rich. I just wanted to unwind after a hard day's work, man…
Anyway. Good luck out there, Spartans.