Xbox chief Phil Spencer explained why he chose not to raise prices on Xbox Series X | S. Gaming is an expensive hobby and arguably one of the most expensive and popular hobbies. Most of the major games cost a minimum of $59.99 and some are charging $69.99 now due to the high game development costs. Game consoles cost hundreds of dollars, hardware can cost just under $100 or more depending on their quality, and if you want to play online and get other benefits, you’ll need a subscription that costs tens of dollars. It is precious and does not get cheaper. In some regions, Sony has increased the price of the PlayStation 5 due to inflation, which makes the entry barrier even more difficult.
Xbox was quick to say it wouldn’t do the same on current-generation consoles, leaving Sony out of the way. Speaking to CNBC, Xbox head Phil Spencer was asked if this was true and reconfirmed the decision. Although Spencer cannot rule out the possibility of this happening in the future due to economic uncertainty, there are no plans to increase the price. Spencer noted that the value of the consoles is important and that the low cost of entry for the Xbox Series S has been incredibly beneficial to Microsoft and gamers.
“We’re always evaluating our work going forward,” Spencer said. “I don’t think we can ever say in anything that we will never do anything. But when we look at our consoles today, […] Series X and Series S, we think the value is very important. We love the Series S’s place in the market, and it’s our least expensive console. More than half of our new players we’ve found are coming through Series S. And I can certainly say we have no plans today to raise the prices of our consoles. […] We don’t think raising prices on our console is the right move at this point.”
$ MSFT‘s @ XboxP3 talks #tencentAnd the #JRPG‘sand Tweet embed He explains why it is not time to continue Sony $Rising prices. # X-Box #Play Station pic.twitter.com/BCIY0wE8Gt
– Squawk Asia (@asiasquawkbox) September 16, 2022
Of course, things can change at any moment, but pricing is clearly critical to Xbox. Since the Xbox Series S offers entry to the new generation of consoles at nearly half the price of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, it would be harmful to overprice. But for now, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that Xbox will increase pricing.
Did Sony’s move to increase prices in specific regions affect which console you might buy? Let me know in the comments or hit me up TwitterCade_Onder.
[H/T Kotaku]
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