Gamers across Europe and the United Kingdom are facing a sharp rise in gaming costs after Microsoft announced dramatic price hikes for its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. Depending on the model, prices are increasing by up to €200 or £170.
The largest relative jump affects the entry-level 512GB Xbox Series S, which increases by over 43 percent from €349.99 (£299.99) to €499.99 (£429.99). Meanwhile, the flagship 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive is going up by over 30 percent, moving from €599.99 (£499.99) to €799.99 (£669.99). Digital and mid-tier models are seeing similar price increases, while the 2TB model is being retired completely.
This marks the third round of price increases for the Xbox series since May 2025. Following these updates, the highest-end model costs $300 more than its original launch price of $499.99 in 2020.
Although console manufacturers across the tech industry have struggled with rising hardware costs, Microsoft's price increases are notably severe. The sharp hikes are largely driven by skyrocketing costs for RAM and storage components, which have seen massive price inflation due to surging demand from the artificial intelligence industry.