In what could be a look at things to come in terms of game pricing, Microsoft has announced that its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles will be getting price hikes in Japan, starting on February 17. This follows Sony raising the price of the PlayStation 5 in many parts of the world last year.
In a post on the Japan-based website Famitsu, Microsoft said on that date, the cost of the Xbox Series X console will go up from ¥54,978 ($423) to ¥59,978 ($462) or about $39. The Xbox Series S will see its price go up from ¥32,278 ($248) to ¥37,978 ($292), or about $44.
In a statement, Microsoft said that raising prices on the Xbox consoles in Japan was "a difficult decision to make" but added it will still provide the best Xbox gaming experience for its customers.
In 2022, Microsoft announced that all its first-party Xbox games would get a price hike from $60 to $70 in 2023. With this latest move to increase prices for the consoles themselves in Japan, Microsoft may be preparing to raise prices for the consoles in other parts of the world. In October 2022, in a chat with the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft's Xbox head Phil Spencer stated that "at some point we'll have to raise the prices on certain things" but did not go into more detail.
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