Microsoft reveals another Xbox price hike is coming, the third increase since 2025

Polygon RSS Feed✍ Patricia Hernandez📅 June 25, 2026⏱ 2 min read(about 2 months ago)

Overview & Key Takeaways

Microsoft insists that Xbox Series X is one of the most affordable ways to play major franchises like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed

If you want an Xbox and don't already own the console, now might be the time to pull the trigger. Microsoft's gaming division has announced that, beginning on August 1, some Xbox models will become more expensive while others will be phased out altogether. It's the third price hike Xbox has implemented for its beleaguered gaming consoles since May 2025.

512 GB models will increase by $100, Microsoft says, while 1 TB models will go up by $150. Xbox will phase out the 2 TB Xbox Series X model in August as well. The new prices are as follows:

Xbox Series S 512 GB — $499.99 (was $399.99)
• Xbox Series S 1TB — $599.99 (was $449.99)
• Xbox Series X Digital — $749.99 (was $599.99)
• Xbox Series X — $799.99 (was $649.99)

"We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options," says a blog post on Xbox Wire. "Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027."

The news comes two months after Microsoft announced that its subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, would get a modest price decrease. At the time, Microsoft said that the previous higher price caused the company to lose millions of subscribers.

This latest price hike arrives just eight months after Microsoft increased prices for Xbox in October, and about a year after the console's initial price adjustment in May 2025. The company shared some ways that the console might become more accessible to potential customers in the future, like payment plans, used and refurbished consoles, and interest-free financing.

"Xbox Series S remains the lowest-cost way for console players to enjoy the biggest hits this year, including Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Gears of War: E-Day, Grand Theft Auto VI, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Madden NFL 27," the post on Xbox Wire reads.

Developing...

High prices for the Xbox Series X, Game Pass, and other Microsoft products have left a bad taste in fans' mouths

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