When Sony increased the price of the PS5 back in August, everyone looked to see if Microsoft would do the same thing with Xbox. The Xbox Series X and Series S have retained their launch pricing so far, but it seems Microsoft was actually just delaying the inevitable.
During a chat at the Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference this week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer hinted that price rises are coming. As The Verge's Tom Warren tweeted, Spencer said, "I do think at some point we'll have to raise the prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was important to maintain the prices."
In fact, the price rises for Xbox may end up being more wide ranging than just the cost of the hardware. Spencer went on to say, "We've held price on our console, we've held price on games... and our subscription. I don't think we'll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we'll have to raise some prices on certain things..."
Such comments suggest the Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox Game Pass, and the price of Xbox games are all expected to increase in early 2023. Microsoft clearly wants good holiday sales before it happens and is willing to take the financial hit if it results in a larger installed base of Xbox consoles and Game Pass subscriptions.
So, if you want an Xbox console, buy one during the holiday period because it seems highly likely price rises will be announced soon, and perhaps as early as January.