Microsoft has once again raised the retail prices of its Xbox consoles, this time in the U.S. market, effective October 3, 2025. This marks the second time in 2025 that Xbox has raised prices—another hike had already been implemented in May. That earlier increase was widely attributed to tariffs imposed on imports from China, which significantly inflated manufacturing costs for many electronic products.
(photo: Xbox)
Among the most vocal critics is former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, who contends that Microsoft is using the tariff argument as a smokescreen to justify margin increases. You can read about that quote: Here. For gamers and potential buyers, the new pricing complicates decisions. The console market is already under pressure from competing platforms like high-end gaming PCs and Sony’s PlayStation, which recently executed its own U.S. price adjustments.
(photo: Xbox)
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