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The unquenchable thirst of AI data centers for computing hardware has precipitated the unusual sight of consoles actually getting more expensive as their life cycle extends. Now we are seeing consoles priced as much as $300 more than when they originally launched in 2020. Yes, this latest price rise isn’t the first.
The worst hit are those looking for the most capable SKUs. Specifically, all the big numbers we’ve used to illustrate the scale of these rises reference the Xbox Series X (1TB, Disc) pricing. This device now costs $799 in the U.S., £669 in the UK, and €799 in Europe. Check the table below for the full range of SKUs and new prices.
It looks like those in European markets will be hardest hit, as a €200 increase converts to an approximate $230 increase. Remember that UK and European prices for consumer goods will always include all sales taxes, though.
In our recent story about the Xbox price hikes (in the U.S.), we noted that the 2TB console was also killed off by Microsoft.
Microsoft increases Xbox Series console prices for the third time in two years, kills off 2TB model
Xbox will pay five times more for memory and storage in 2027 than it did two years ago
Valve hikes Steam Deck OLED prices — 512GB is now $789, while 1TB climbs to $949
Readers won’t be surprised that this latest set of hikes is another symptom of the AI boom and RAMpocalypse. The pricing of essential components used by servers, computers, smart devices, and consoles alike has all skyrocketed over the last year, led by RAM and SSDs.
Sony increased all its PlayStation 5 prices in April, with every SKU going up by $100. Perhaps it will have to revise things upwards again, shortly. Meanwhile, PC buyers are also glum with the rapidly increasing prices of components and pre-built console-killers like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, all seeing significant price increases.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/microsoft-raises-european-xbox-prices-by-up-to-gbp200-rampocalypse-and-component-shortages-force-major-console-markups#main
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.