After raising the prices of the Xbox Series X and Series S in Japan earlier this year, Microsoft has now done the same in Sweden. It begs the question on whether it will now turn its attention to other European countries, including the UK. And, could that even extend to the US?
The price for an Xbox Series X in the country has risen from 5,695 krona to 6,195 — roughly $50 more at today's exchange rates. The Xbox Series S is now approximately $30 more.
This is on top of its decision to raise first-party game prices by $10 apiece going forward.
The new Swedish prices were noticed by local website Gaming Deputy (and reported by VGC). They follow similar price hikes from Sony for its PlayStation 5 consoles, which occurred last year throughout the UK, Europe, Japan and Australia.
At that time, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that the company had no plans to follow suit, but the fluctuations in local economies are clearly causing a rethink. Indeed, later in 2022, he told The Verge's Tom Warren that it is inevitable that some prices will have to change.
Considering the rate of inflation in some regions (not least the UK), it could be that we see Microsoft continue its rollout of new pricing for its Xbox Series X and Series S sooner than later. One way to combat it is to snag your console beforehand. Both are regularly in stock now, with supply issues seemingly a thing of the past.
Alternatively, you could wait until the next major sales period — such as the summer sales, Prime Day or Black Friday. We'll be following the different deals that will be available for each and will let you know of any big Xbox bargains that might become available.
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