Microsoft is officially raising the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S, as well as accessories and games, as means to deal with “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” In some regions, the base Xbox Series X has been slapped with the equivalent of an AUD $150 price rise.
While not every country is in the same boat – the United States appears to be worse off due to the evolving Trump tariff situation – the changes are widespread. Even for those who already own a console, the incoming changes will have a significant impact, as games are being swept up in the price rises, too.
Per Xbox, future game releases will be priced in the region of USD $79.99 (AUD $125) by the holiday season. While that directly refers to Xbox first-party games (think Fable, Gears of War: E-Day), the edict will likely impact other games, or otherwise inspire similar price rises across the industry. GTA 6, for example, is highly likely to debut as a USD $79.99 game (at the very least), based on demand.
Read: PlayStation Plus is getting a price bump in Australia
To accompany these changes, controller prices are also going up, and in the United States and Canada, headset prices will also be raised. In short: it’s about to become much more expensive to play video games. Even with Xbox offering cheaper games via its Xbox Game Pass subscription, the changes are likely to make gaming far more prohibitive as a casual hobby.
New Xbox console, controller prices in Australia
For those in Australia, here’s the breakdown of pricing changes. All prices below are listed in Australian Dollars ($AUD).
- Xbox Series S 512GB – Now $549 (up from $499)
- Xbox Series S 1TB – Now $599 (up from $549)
- Xbox Series X Digital – Now $749 (up from $699)
- Xbox Series X – Now $849 (up from $799)
- Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black – Now $1,049 (up from $999)
For the controllers, here’s what you can now expect to pay. The price comparisons relate to controllers listed at RRP on EB Games, a core stockist. As of writing, these price changes have not been implemented for this store.
- Xbox Wireless Controller (Core) – Now $99.95 (up from $89.95)
- Xbox Wireless Controller (Colour) – Now $104.95 (up from $94.95)
- Xbox Wireless Controller (Special Edition) – Now $119.95 (up from $99.95)
- Xbox Wireless Controller (Limited Edition) – Now $129.95 (up from $109.95)
- Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Core) – Now $229.95 (up from $189.95)
- Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Full) – Now $279.95 (up from $249.95)
You can browse the full list of changes and regional price differences on the Xbox website.
