Gamers across Europe and the United Kingdom are facing a steep climb in costs as Microsoft implements another aggressive round of price hikes for its Xbox consoles. While previous announcements focused primarily on the American market, new figures reveal that customers in the EU and UK will see increases of up to 200 euros or 170 pounds depending on which model they choose. These adjustments mark a significant shift in accessibility for the hardware, particularly for those looking at entry level options.
The impact is felt most heavily by users eyeing the budget friendly Xbox Series S. The 512GB model is seeing a staggering jump of over 43 percent, climbing from its original price point to 499.99 euros or 429.99 pounds. Even high end enthusiasts aren’t spared, as the standard 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive has surged by more than 30 percent, now retailing for nearly 800 euros or roughly 670 pounds.
Industry analysts suggest these drastic moves are tied to broader economic pressures within the tech sector. As the artificial intelligence boom drives an unprecedented demand for RAM and storage components, manufacturing costs have skyrocketed globally. Although other console manufacturers have adjusted their pricing to keep pace with these supply chain issues, few have done so with the frequency or intensity seen here from Microsoft.
This latest update represents the third time prices have climbed since May of last year, leaving some flagship models hundreds of dollars above their initial launch cost from four years ago. In addition to the rising stickers, Microsoft is retiring its 2TB model entirely as part of a strategic response to the ongoing global storage crunch, further limiting choices for power users who require maximum onboard capacity.