Microsoft Raises Prices Of Xbox Consoles, “Some” Physical And Digital First-Party Games $80 This Holiday
First, Nintendo shocked gamers with the price of its Nintendo Switch 2 games, ostensibly due to U.S. President Trump’s tariffs. Now, Microsoft has joined the fray, raising the price of Xbox consoles on May 1st. First-party games will also be $80 starting this holiday season, including digital games.
While seemingly not promoted on its social media accounts, Microsoft announced the news via its Xbox Support website. “As of May 1, we have adjusted recommended retailer pricing for our consoles and controllers worldwide. We also expect to adjust the pricing of some of our new, first-party games starting this holiday season to $79.99.”
“Those titles purchased on the Xbox Store have the benefit of Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing players to buy once and play on console and PC at no additional cost,” Microsoft emphasized.
“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.” Microsoft notably made no mentions of tariffs in its statement.
Microsoft went on to clarify that Xbox consoles and controllers would have their new prices on the Xbox Store, along with a new RRP for retailers. They also noted, “Some of our new, first-party games will launch at $79.99 beginning this holiday season . . . Xbox Series S and X availability may continue to change over time depending on the retailer and by country.”
The new Xbox console prices for the U.S., combined with IGN’s and VGC’s coverage on the original prices, are as follows:
| Console | New Price | Old Price | Percentage Increase (rounded up) |
| Xbox Series S 512 | $379.99 | $299.99 | 27% |
| Xbox Series S 1TB | $429.99 | $349.99 | 23% |
| Xbox Series X Digital | $549.99 | $449.99 | 22% |
| Xbox Series X | $599.99 | $499.99 | 20% |
| Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition | $729.99 | $599.99 | 22% |
| Controllers & Headsets | New Price | Old Price | Percentage Increase (rounded up) |
| Xbox Wireless Controller (Core) | $64.99 | $64.99 | 0% |
| Xbox Wireless Controller (Color) | $69.99 | $69.99 | 0% |
| Xbox Wireless Controller – Special Edition | $79.99 | $69.99 | 14% |
| Xbox Wireless Controller – Limited Edition | $89.99 | $79.99 | 13% |
| Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Core) | $149.99 | $139.99 | 7% |
| Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Full) | $199.99 | $179.99 | 11% |
| Xbox Stereo Headset* | $64.99 | $64.99 | 0% |
| Xbox Wireless Headset* | $119.99 | $109.99 | 9% |
* Prices of headsets only changing in the U.S. and Canada.
You can find the new European prices here, UK prices here, and Australian prices here. VGC’s report indicates European pricing will see consoles rise from 8% to 17% (controllers from 7% to 12%), and in the UK console prices rising from 7% to 17% (and no changes in controller pricing there except for the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Full), increased by 6%).
Other regions “will also receive updated recommended retailer pricing, and local pricing may differ by country to reflect exchange rates and market conditions.” Microsoft recommended checking its Where To Buy page in your region.
The FAQ re-iterated the above information, once again emphasizing some new first-party Xbox games (physical and digital) would be $80 this holiday — a 14% increase from $70, by the by.
Per IGN, potentially affected titles include the next Call of Duty, 2026’s Fable, the Perfect Dark reboot, Clockwork Revolution, Everwild, Gears of War: E-Day, Hideo Kojima’s OD, State of Decay 3, and Double Fine’s next game. There is also a direct for The Outer Worlds 2 in June, along with the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 — leaving slim hope some titles may launch before this holiday season.
Discussion of when the price of games would go up has continued as the industry has grown. Back in 2020, when game prices rose from $60 to $70, Bloomberg’s Olga Kharif and Takashi Mochizuki reported there was an “industry-wide effort” to do so for years. Sources claimed they knew the move would be unpopular, despite inflation and the rising cost of AAA development.
At the start of this year, rumors persisted that Grand Theft Auto VI could cost over $80, even up to $100, shattering the limit for some of the biggest titles. The recent announcement of Nintendo’s prices for the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games were initially blamed on Trump’s tariffs, until interview dates exposed those prices were decided before those details were announced. In either case, Nintendo has seemingly broken the floodgates for Xbox, and likely, PlayStation.
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