Microsoft Increases Prices Globally on Xbox Consoles, Controllers, Headsets, and Games Due to Market Conditions and Development Costs

Sure thing, here’s a human-sounding rewrite for you:

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Okay, so here’s the thing. Microsoft just decided—out of the blue or maybe not?—to crank up the prices of their Xbox Series S and X consoles. Like, everything’s getting pricier: the controllers, headsets, and even the games we drool over during the holidays. I remember when consoles were cheaper, but, well, times change or whatever. Anyway, now the Series X is $599.99 in the U.S. and €599.99 for our European pals. Oh, and games are hitting $79.99! Not the best news for our wallets.

So, apparently, this started on May 1. All about giving us a heads-up, right? Microsoft dropped one of those classic corporate lines about “adjusting recommended retailer pricing.” Fancy talk for “we’re upping the prices,” thanks to “market conditions” and “rising development costs.” It’s like the price of everything is ballooning, but Game Pass is staying put. Wait—didn’t they just raise those prices last year? Good to know they’re holding steady for now.

Now, about the Series X. You got your storage options all shuffled around. An extra $100 lands you that 1TB model now at $599.99. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Black Special Edition—fancy name, right?—jumps to a hefty $729.99. All this makes me wonder if gaming’s slowly becoming a luxury hobby. Anyone else feel the pinch?

And don’t get me started on the accessories. Controllers are now $64.99 each. Need a headset? That’s $119.99. It’s almost like they’re following Nintendo’s lead, aligning a new game at $79.99 too. Remember the fuss over Mario Kart World’s price? Microsoft’s probably smirking and thinking, “Why not?”

Here’s the kicker—these hikes aren’t just a U.S. issue. Europe, Australia, the U.K. — everyone’s got to dig deeper into their pockets. A little birdie (aka Microsoft) says it’s all due to development costs and some trade policy chaos. Who isn’t dealing with some level of chaos nowadays, right?

Despite all this, they keep telling us about their mission to create value. With prices going up everywhere, “value” feels like one of those buzzwords companies throw around to soften the blow. But hey, at least Game Pass isn’t joining the price party just yet.

And that’s the lowdown. I’m curious if staying plugged into Tom’s Hardware via Google News will soften the blow or give us more price hikes to chew on. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for no more surprises.