If we thought that the rise of PS5the announced price for the Steam Machine or the increase in the price of several Apple products They were isolated episodes, the answer is beginning to be quite clear: they were not. What we are seeing is a cost pressure that no longer remains within the data centers or in the internal accounts of the manufacturers. It’s coming to devices we know well, from computers to consoles. And now it’s Xbox’s turn.
Microsoft has set a date to the next move: the adjustment will take effect on August 1, 2026 and will have global scope. According to the company, 512 GB Xbox consoles will increase by $100, while 1 TB models will become more expensive by $150. The other relevant decision is that Microsoft will stop selling its 2 TB model, a recall that affects the Xbox Series X Galaxy Black Special Edition.
The clearest way to read the rise is to separate markets. In USA We can now take the complete photo, because we have the current price and the result of applying the increase announced by Microsoft. In Europe, however, there is still no new official table in euros for August. What is confirmed is that the adjustment will be global, so it will also reach Spain.
United States, current price and price since August 1, 2026
- Xbox Series S 512 GB: $399.99 to $499.99
- Xbox Series S 1TB: $449.99 to $599.99
- Xbox Series X Digital 1TB: $599.99 to $749.99
- Xbox Series X 1TB: $649.99 to $799.99
- Xbox Series X 2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition: Microsoft will stop selling this model
Europe and Spain, official prices valid from May 2025
- Xbox Series S 512 GB: 349.99 euros
- Xbox Series S 1 TB: 399.99 euros
- Xbox Series X Digital 1 TB: 549.99 euros
- Xbox Series X 1 TB: 599.99 euros
- Xbox Series X 2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition: 699.99 euros, although the model will disappear from the catalog
Microsoft does not present the increase as a decision taken lightly. In its statement, the company recalls that in October 2025 it already raised the price of Xboxes in the United States between $20 and $70, and states that “We hoped it wasn’t necessary.“apply another increase. The problem, according to their version, is in the costs of memory and storage, which have become more than 2.5 times more expensive and could double again by autumn 2027.
The company frames the movement within a component crisis that affects consumer electronics, but that hits consoles hardest because, according to Microsoft, they tend to be sold below what it costs to manufacture them.
Memory has become the new bottleneck
Microsoft doesn’t directly mention artificial intelligence in its statement, but the market context helps explain why memory and storage have become a bigger issue. The Wall Street Journal has described the massive deployment of data centers as a new engine of inflationary pressurewith impact on components, electricity and consumer products. TrendForce has also noted that demand linked to AI is absorbing memory and storage capacity.
Now, the Redmond firm is trying to accompany the rise with several ways to soften the blow to the buyer. They talk about deferred payment options in the Microsoft Store, interest-free financing for up to 12 months on eligible purchases through Amazon, buyback programs with retail partners and more availability of certified refurbished consoles. It also mentions that refurbished Xboxes can be found in the Microsoft Store with up to $100 off the recommended price. The fine print matters: These options vary by region, depend on third parties, and are subject to eligibility conditions.
The bottom line is that the old cheap console logicsold with little margin to recover later in games and services, is colliding with a different reality. If memory, storage and other components become more expensive due to a demand that does not depend only on the video game, the manufacturer has less room to absorb the blow. At the end of the day, we consumers are the ones who end up paying the price. We have to wait to see what other movements of this type will occur in the industry.
Images | Microsoft
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings