Microsoft Has Raised Xbox Series X|S Prices In Sweden

The price of the Xbox Series X has risen from 5,695 SEK ($550) to 6,195 SEK ($599), more than two years after the console’s debut in November 2020. The Xbox Series S pricing has also climbed from 3,595 SEK ($347) to 3,894 SEK ($376) (thanks GamingDeputy.)

Xbox Series X debuted in November 2020 for $499, while Xbox Series S cost $299 and had less functionality. The Xbox Series S is a digital-only console with less storage space than the Series X in addition to the hardware differences.

In response to Sony’s decision to raise the list price for the PS5 by around $50 in areas other than the United States in 2022, Phil Spencer first reassured consumers that the pricing of the Xbox Series X|S will stay unchanged.

But, in a subsequent interview with the Wall Street Journal in October of last year, the Xbox CEO changed the company’s stance on price hikes.

I do think at some point we’ll have to raise the prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was important to maintain the prices. We’ve held price on our console, we’ve held price on games, and our subscription. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things.”

Microsoft has also raised the price of Xbox systems in Japan by 5,000 yen, making the Xbox Series X 59,978 yen and the Xbox Series S 37,978 yen. Microsoft justified the increase by citing the impact of local pricing, and the new policy went into effect on February 17.

“After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country,” said a Microsoft representative in a statement to Famitsu.

We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions. This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect.”

This price rise isn’t confined to consoles; Microsoft just revealed that it will boost the price of first-party games to $70 beginning with Starfield, Redfall, and Forza Motorsport.

Nevertheless, all of these titles will be available as day one releases on Xbox Game Pass, allowing customers to subscribe to the service rather than pay the higher asking price.

Gaming consoles usually go down in price over the course of their lifespans, but the current generation seems to be bucking the trend. While consumer goods prices continue to rise due to inflation, this is unlikely to be Microsoft’s final price hike.

Both PlayStation and Xbox appear to want to avoid boosting console pricing in the United States market, which is the most competitive for both hardware makers.

But, given the present rate of cost increases, it will be fascinating to watch how long both of the big platform holders can avoid raising pricing in the US market. The only way to know is to wait and see.