Microsoft has sharply increased prices for its Xbox Series S and Series X consoles across the UK and European Union, with the changes taking effect from 1 August. The rises are steeper than those applied to customers in the United States, with some models going up by as much as €200, and the move has drawn attention for how directly it exposes consumers to global supply-chain pressures affecting the tech industry.

In the UK, the Xbox Series S now costs £429.99, while in EU markets it is priced at €499.99. Microsoft has attributed the increases to a worldwide shortage of memory and storage components, driven in part by artificial intelligence firms buying up semiconductor supplies at scale, which has squeezed availability and pushed up production costs for hardware makers across the sector.