Xbox gamers in the United States are about to feel a little extra pain in their wallets. Microsoft has announced it will be raising prices on its consoles starting October 3, 2025. The move comes as part of what the company calls adjustments to the “macroeconomic environment,” a vague phrase that usually means inflation, higher production costs, or currency shifts. Whatever the reason, American buyers will soon be paying more while gamers in other countries see no change.
The entry-level Xbox Series S 512GB, once known as the budget-friendly option, is moving up to $399.99. The Series S 1TB, which offers more storage for those digital-only game libraries, will hit $449.99. Meanwhile, the Series X Digital version will climb to $599.99. The full-featured Series X with a disc drive is headed to $649.99, and a new 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition of the Series X will carry a hefty $799.99 price tag.
Microsoft is keeping pricing for controllers, headsets, and accessories untouched, at least for now. The company also made clear that this is strictly a U.S. update—players in Europe, Asia, and other markets will not see any changes. That means this decision is squarely focused on the American market, which has traditionally been Xbox’s strongest base.
The timing is not accidental either. With holiday shopping season approaching, parents and gamers will be weighing whether to invest in an Xbox or look at competitors like Sony’s PlayStation 5. For Microsoft, the gamble is whether players will accept the price increases or turn elsewhere. On the flip side, Game Pass remains a strong draw, and Microsoft clearly wants to push the idea of “value” even as it asks for more cash upfront.
To be fair, tariffs and higher global costs could at least be partially to blame for the increases. But it also feels like Microsoft is being greedy here, raising prices right before Christmas when families are most likely to be shopping. That timing makes it hard to believe this is purely about economic pressure rather than squeezing a little extra from gamers.
At the end of the day, this change means U.S. buyers will now pay some of the highest prices in the world for Xbox hardware. Whether this erodes goodwill or gets quietly accepted will become clear once sales data rolls in this holiday season.
