Xbox Price Hikes Again: Series X/S Costs Rise by Up to $150 Starting August

Microsoft has announced yet another round of price increases for its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, set to take effect on August 1, 2026. The hikes — $100 more for the 512GB model and a steep $150 more for the 1TB variant — mark the third time Microsoft has raised Xbox hardware prices since 2025, with the previous increase having taken place just last October. The company is pointing the finger at surging RAM and storage costs, becoming the latest console manufacturer to cite skyrocketing memory and NAND flash prices as the driving force behind consumer-facing cost increases.

The numbers are stark: the entry-level Xbox Series S now carries a price tag equivalent to what the disc-equipped Xbox Series X launched at six years ago, a symbolic milestone that underscores just how dramatically the hardware landscape has shifted. Despite the sticker shock, Microsoft is pushing back on criticism by arguing that Xbox Series X remains one of the most cost-effective ways to play major AAA franchises like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed — a positioning that may ring hollow for budget-conscious gamers who have already weathered multiple rounds of price increases in quick succession.

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