Microsoft Rolls Out Steep Xbox Console Price Hikes Across Europe
Microsoft's latest round of price hikes for its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles has hit Europe and they are steeper than some may have been anticipating. Depending on the region and specific model, official Xbox console prices are now up to 50% higher, and no less than 33.33% higher, with the markups exceeding what Microsoft settled on for the U.S. market.
The part that is not a surprise is that Xbox console prices are going up. Microsoft announced another round of price hikes back in June, though it only revealed new MSRPs for the U.S. market—the company revealed that all Xbox consoles with 512GB of storage would increase by $100, while 1TB models would go up by $150. It also announced plans to sunset its 2TB variant.
"Last October, we increased Xbox console prices by $20-$70 in the U.S. We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027," Microsoft said at the time.
As spotted by Resetera forum user "Neat," price hikes in the European Union and the U.K. are steeper, on a percentage basis. Here is how it breaks down:
European Union
- 512GB Xbox Series S: €499.99 (up from €349.99), +42.86%
- 1TB Xbox Series S: €599.99 (up from €399.99), +50%
- 1TB Xbox Series X Digital: €749.99 (up from €549.99), +36.36%
- 1TB Xbox Series X Disc: €799.99 (up from €599.99), +33.33%
UK
- 512GB Xbox Series S: £429.99 (up from £299.99), +43.33%
- 1TB Xbox Series S: £519.99 (up from £349.99) +48.57%
- 1TB Xbox Series X Digital: £619.99 (up from £449.99), +37.78%
- 1TB Xbox Series X Disc: £669.99 (up from £499.99), +34%
Compare those with Microsoft's adjusted pricing in the U.S. market:
United States
- 512GB Xbox Series S: $499.99 (up from $399.99), +25%
- 1TB Xbox Series S: $599.99 (up from $449.99) +33.33%
- 1TB Xbox Series X Digital: $749.99 (up from $599.99), +25%
- 1TB Xbox Series X Disc: $799.99 (up from $649.99), +23.08%
Of course, the comparisons get muddier if you start evaluating currency conversions. No matter how you slice it, however, the end result is that the cheapest Xbox console—the Xbox Series S with 512GB of storage—starts at $499.99 in the U.S., versus the equivalent of around $575 across all of Europe. And no matter where gamers reside, the Xbox Series S now costs as much as the Xbox Series X did when it launched.
Tariffs may have played a role at one point, but the driving force right now is the AI-driven memory crunch that is driving up costs on everything that uses memory (and storage). Previously, Microsoft lamented that the situation has been "particularly hard on consoles."
"Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make," Microsoft said.
It will be interesting to see where things go from here, especially as Microsoft embarks on a 100-day reset plan that it hopes will result in its Xbox division returning to growth next year.
