"Speak With Your Wallets, Folks": Gamers Rally Against Sweeping Xbox Price Increases

Summary

• The Xbox line of products is getting a price increase across its consoles, peripherals and even games.
• Thursday's increases follow previous price hikes that Sony announced for its own PlayStation products.
• Taking to Reddit, fans voiced their frustration at the generation getting more expensive rather than cheaper.

Roughly two weeks after Sony announced that it would be raising the price of the PlayStation 5 console in several markets, its competitor, Xbox, announced sweeping price increases of its own.

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The steep increases vary by region, but will see both the Series X and its low-budget entry companion, the Series S, increase in price, with games also shifting to a $79.99 pricepoint from the holiday season onward. Peripherals will also see a price change, all of which were outlined in a support update.

In the hours since the changes were announced, various fans shared their thoughts online, with many being enraged at the idea of consoles increasing in price as the years go on and not decreasing.

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"First gen where consoles are an appreciating asset 4 years in," one user wrote. "What a joke." That's the type of sentiment that was expressed by fans, many of whom also noted that they are struggling to make ends meet as is, with the hobby price increase adding salt to the wound.

Elsewhere, fans noted that the new price for a Series S ($380 at the lowest point) no longer makes the console a viable low-budget option for gamers looking to break into the "next-gen" space. "With this price difference, there’s really no reason for it," a user explained. "Just go (get a) PS5."

It's not just fans who were considering buying a console who are upset, as those who own Xbox devices are also feeling similarly for an understandable reason. "My biggest worry now is that my launch Series X kicks the bucket and I have to spend more than launch day to replace it," one gamer explained. "I doubt I could bring myself to do that and would be switching to PC for my Game Pass games."

That is a valid point, and it also extends to those with accessories, such as controllers that would potentially need replacing down the line and are now more expensive.

"Dear gamers, your voice and your power are your wallet. Use it wisely," a gamer cautioned to those around them.

The news has understandably been a gut punch for gamers, who've seemingly endured multiple punches as of late. Only time will tell what impact it has in terms of sales, but its clear things are going to be a lot more expensive than they were five years ago.

Xbox Series X

Launched in 2020 in conjunction with the Xbox Series S digital-only console, the Series X is the disc version of Microsoft's premier gaming platform.

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