XBOX Series consoles have received a price increase in Japan, and could spell future increases for other regions.
Last October, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer revealed that Xbox’s prices would likely increase this year.
Both Series consoles could see a price increase.
In an interview, he said: “We’ve held [the] price on our console, we’ve held [the] price on games for us and our subscription.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever.”
He seemed determined to keep the low price of both the console and its games through the holiday period, but admitted that prices could rise in 2023.
The first price hike was announced in December, when Xbox revealed that upcoming first-party games like Redfall and Starfield would see a price increase.
While PC and PlayStation games had been retailing at an average of £70 ($70) for years, Xbox seemed determined to maintain its £60 ($60) price tag.
That was until the announcement that its big-budget games would not retail at the same price as competitor PlayStation.
However, games weren’t the only thing that Spencer said could increase in price. The others being the Xbox consoles, and the Xbox Game Pass subscription.
The price of Xbox Series consoles will rise in Japan, going into effect from February 17.
Both consoles will see an increase in price of ¥5000 (£30/$40).
This is obviously a larger increase for the Xbox Series S console, which due to its low price tag, is seen as the budget choice for gamers.
In a statement about the increase, Microsoft Japan wrote “After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country.
“We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions.
“This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect.”
The Japanese yen is currently at a 24-year low, which is the reason Microsoft is giving for the increase.
However, as many other countries suffer from economic instability, Microsoft could be considering further price hikes in other regions.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
