The Xbox leadership has announced a new price increase for its lineup of consoles starting August 3, including a $100 hike for the 512GB and $150 for the 1TB models. The reason, as you might imagine, is due to the shortage of components and increased manufacturing costs due to scarcity.
This is the third price increase Xbox consoles have received in the last two years. Just to put into context how bad things have gotten, the original launch price for an Xbox Series S back in 2020 was $300. Now, the cheapest version of Microsoft’s alleged entry point hardware will set you back $500.
The worrying thing about this entire situation is the fact that, on its announcement press release, the Xbox team says they expect this continuous trend of console storage and memory price shortages to continue well into 2027.
“The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.”
Microsoft detailed a few payment options that include a “Buy Now, Pay Later” and interest-free financing via Amazon, as well as offering refurbished consoles at much lower prices. That said, the bottom line is — you will be paying a ton more for an Xbox starting this August.
This should also raise some alarms regarding Project Helix’s eventual launch price. If the most expensive Xbox Series version (the 1TB XSX) will now cost $750, all I can think about is that the base price for a Helix will likely, at minimum, be close to $800.
There’s a whole rental system in the UK that didn’t really take off. You’d pay a small monthly fee to keep a console, and you could decide to either fully finance it or return it after a set amount of time. If prices continue to rise, I wouldn't be surprised if CEO Asha Sharma implements a similar rental system to expand upon Xbox’s current financing plans.
New Xbox Prices (2026)
Starting on August 3, these will be the new prices for all Xbox consoles:
Series S 512GB: $399 to $499• Series S 1TB: $449 to $599• Series X 1TB: $649 to $800• Series X 1TB Digital: $599 to $750
And that’s it. Stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: your go-to source for all things Xbox.