Xbox Console Prices Jump Even Higher in the EU and UK Than in the US

Microsoft first warned the world in June that Xbox Series S and Series X prices would rise “worldwide” starting August 1, but at the time only disclosed what American buyers would owe, leaving international pricing conspicuously unmentioned.

For a player base already frustrated after a severe multi-hour server outage locked them out of their own consoles just days prior, the quiet overnight reveal on Xbox’s EU and UK store pages felt like adding insult to injury.

When the updated figures finally surfaced, the sheer scale of the increases made it obvious why Microsoft had delayed showing its hand. 

A Steeper Hike Than Microsoft Let On

Engadget reported that while US price increases ranged between $100 and $150 depending on the model, European Union shoppers are now paying between 150 and 200 euros more, with UK buyers facing increases of roughly 130 to 170 pounds. 

Working out to full breakdowns, Engadget listed the new EU pricing at €499.99 for the 512GB Xbox Series S, €599.99 for the 1TB Series S, €749.99 for the digital Xbox Series X, and €799.99 for the full Series X with a disc drive.

UK pricing lands at £429.99, £519.99, £619.99, and £669.99 across the same four configurations, respectively. 

Even after currency conversion, Engadget found Europe’s entry-level Xbox costs about $575, significantly more than the same model in the US.

From $350 to Nearly $900 for the Top Model

Kotaku’s reporting zeroed in on just how dramatic the jump looks in dollar terms, noting that the 512GB Xbox Series S climbed from €349.99 and £299.99 to €499.99 and £429.99, an increase of roughly $580 once converted. 

The steepest hit landed on the disc-based 1TB Xbox Series X, which rose from €599.99 and £499.99 to €799.99 and £669.99, translating to just over $900 and an overall increase of $230, a striking price for aging console silicon as Microsoft pivots focus toward next-gen hardware. 

The outlet also noted the pricing first surfaced through users on the ResetEra forum spotting the updated Xbox Store listings before either outlet or Microsoft itself formally announced the change.

Microsoft Points to Memory Prices as Console Costs Climb Industrywide

According to the reports, Microsoft attributed the increases to a storage and memory shortage first cited in June, with component costs already up 2.5 times and expected to double again by fall 2027 as experts warn sever memory crunch ahead. 

Microsoft isn’t alone in absorbing that pressure, as Nintendo and Sony have each announced their own recent price increases tied to the broader memory shortage. 

Kotaku, however, questioned Microsoft’s reasoning, noting the same company blaming component shortages has invested hundreds of billions in AI data centres this year, prompting some buyers to wonder whether component shortages are the only reason for the price hikes. 

Source: Microsoft told us they would be raising the price of Xbox consoles