Man, Microsoft just dropped this bombshell on us about Xbox prices going up. Yeah, like, everything’s more expensive these days, but really, even gaming? Anyway — no wait, hang on — where was I? Right, so as of May 1, you’re gonna be paying more for not just the consoles but the controllers and headsets too. Like, the Xbox Series X is gonna be $599.99 now, which is a hundred bucks more than before. Ouch.
And I was just thinking—why do first-party games have to be 80 bucks now? I mean, even the base controller jumped to $64.99. The whole “market conditions” excuse just feels like a cop-out. Or maybe I’m just jaded. Who knows, right?
Oh, and get this: the Xbox Series X with a snazzy 2TB and Galaxy Black color? That’s $729.99 now. That’s a whole $130 more! I’ve lost track of how much all this stuff is supposed to cost anymore. I mean, the Xbox Series S, the cheaper version, is also pricier now. The 512GB model is up $80, sitting at $379.99.
And accessories? Yep, they’re pricier too. The wireless headset is a whopping $119.99. It’s like, what’s next, the batteries for the controller? Microsoft’s saying it’s all due to “rising development costs” and some trade stuff. Sure, I get it, but geez, it’s hitting the wallet hard, isn’t it?
At least there’s one silver lining—if you can call it that: Xbox Game Pass isn’t going up for now. Maybe they didn’t want to hit us with too much at once. Or maybe that price hike is lurking around the corner. They’ve shifted prices a bunch of times already—like in ’24 and again in June ’23. So, we’ll see.
Seriously though, am I the only one feeling this pinch? What happened to gaming being a stress relief? Now it’s just adding stress to my credit card. Anyway, keep an eye on Microsoft. They might have a few tricks up their sleeve—but hopefully not more price hikes.
