It’s hard to believe it ever seemed possible! While Microsoft had promised to shield consumers from inflation, they’ve now reversed course and announced price hikes for both the Xbox Series X console and the Xbox Game Pass subscription. Starting August 1, 2023, the Xbox Series X will match the PS5’s price at €549.99, up from its previous €499.99. Meanwhile, starting July 6, the regular Xbox Game Pass will see a modest bump to €10.99 per month, an increase of just €1. However, there’s a bigger change for those with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription: it’s going up from €12.99 to €14.99 each month.
To shed light on these price changes, Kari Perez, Xbox’s communications head, explains that prices have been “maintained for many years but are now being readjusted to reflect competitive conditions in each market.” She also notes that these adjustments aren’t related to the recent deal with Activision Blizzard and are simply a way to adapt to local market dynamics. Given the stiff competition and the reality of inflation, it’s clear that expecting Microsoft to keep its original pricing indefinitely would be rather unrealistic. After all, business is business!
