In wake of Sony’s announcement of a price increase for the PlayStation 5, Microsoft has declared that the Xbox Series S and Series X will both remain at the current suggested retail price.
PlayStation 5’s price will increase in the UK, Australia and other key territories, however the US has managed to avoid a price hike for now. While unfortunate for many people looking to get a PS5, Microsoft’s announcement is great news for Xbox fans.
In a statement to our sister site, Windows Central, Microsoft confirmed that the tech giant has no plans on increasing the price of its latest consoles.
“We are constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options. Our Xbox Series S suggested retail price remains at $299 (£250, AU$499) the Xbox Series X is $499 (£450, AU$749).”
This comes as a relief for gamers, as there was suspicion around a similar price jump from Microsoft after Sony’s announcement cited economic pressure and inflation as the big factors behind this decision. Only time will tell if Xbox’s prices continue to be immune from global economic stress.
The battle of the console giants
By offering both a budget option with the Xbox Series S, and access to a vast library of games with its monthly subscription service, Game Pass, Microsoft is leading the race in affordability with this generation of consoles. Game Pass not only offers a wide selection of past titles, but also immediate access to first-party games on release. Different tiers also offer the library on PC as well as EA Play, so gamers don’t even need the latest console to play their favorite games.
PlayStation has its own answer to Game Pass with PlayStation Plus, and while the library is more extensive than the Xbox’s, it doesn’t include day one access to first-party titles. PlayStation Plus Premium also offers the ability to play selected titles on PC, but this is restricted to what’s available in their classics catalogue and selected PS4 titles.
Given the current difficulty in stocking the PlayStation 5, this is the latest hurdle for fans to overcome when acquiring the console. Since its release back in 2020, it has been notoriously difficult to get your hands on a PS5. It’s not as difficult to track one down in 2022, however, there are still stock issues in a number of markets, and fans often have to wait for restocks before their orders come in.