Microsoft is about to raise the price of Xbox Series X and Game Pass. The Verge reports.
Xbox’s head of communications, Kari Perez, confirmed the price increase in a statement sent to the outlet. Microsoft will raise the price of its high-end 9th generation console, the Xbox Series X, starting August 1st. The Verge notes that this pricing will affect most countries (except the US), explaining that the Xbox Series X price will skyrocket. £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 in most European markets, CAD$649.99 in Canada and AU$799.99 in Australia. Note that the Xbox Series S will continue to cost $299.99 for the 512GB model and $349.99 for the 1TB model.
However, the price of Xbox Game Pass will increase in all countries where the service is offered. Starting July 6th, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will cost $16.99 ($2 more) and regular Xbox Game Pass will be $10.99/month ($1 more). However, PC Game Pass remains priced at $9.99 per month. This is the first time Microsoft has announced an increase to Xbox Game Pass since its launch in 2017.
The announcement isn’t entirely surprising given that Xbox head Phil Spencer mentioned in October last year that the price of Xbox hardware and Game Pass would one day go up. “We’ve held console prices steady for many years and have adjusted our prices to reflect the competitive landscape in each market,” Perez told The Verge.
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The news comes at an interesting time for Microsoft, as the company is appearing in court today to face the FTC, as the FTC seeks an interim injunction to prevent Microsoft from completing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. . The FTC announced last year that it would sue Microsoft over the deal, and the evidence hearing is scheduled to be separate from this month’s trial, which is currently scheduled for Aug. 2.
Microsoft is currently in a legal battle with the FTC to determine the future of its deal with Activision Blizzard, but Perez told The Verge that the company’s acquisition had nothing to do with the Xbox Game Pass price hike. said no. “Microsoft hasn’t changed the price of Xbox Game Pass since it launched the subscription in 2017, and the company wants to emphasize that this has nothing to do with its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” Perez said. he told The Verge. “These Game Pass price adjustments are independent of Activision Blizzard’s deal and are intended to align with local market conditions.”
Considering that the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which blocked the deal a few months ago, had raised concerns that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard would drive up the price of Xbox Game Pass, Perez Interesting explanation by Mr.
Taylor is a reporter for IGN. You can follow her on her Twitter @TayNixster.
