# Microsoft raises Xbox Series X and S prices in UK

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/xbox-series-x-price-hiked-by-170-due-to-rising-memory-chip-costs/
- Published: 2026-08-03T14:33:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-03T20:47:12+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Technology (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czjlvrd9e43o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, Technology, TV

## Key points

- Xbox Series X rises from £500 to £670; Series S up 43% to £430
- Microsoft blames rising memory and storage chip costs, echoing Sony, Valve hikes
- Comes amid falling Xbox division revenue and 3,200 job cuts in July

## Summary

Microsoft has raised Xbox console prices worldwide, blaming the rising cost of memory and storage chips, with UK shoppers now paying up to £170 more for a premium Series X. The disc-drive Series X has increased from £500 to £670, while the entry-level Series S has risen by roughly 43%, from £300 to £430. The move follows similar action by rival Sony, which raised PlayStation 5 prices by £90 in March, and forms part of a wider industry pattern of firms passing higher component costs, driven partly by AI-fuelled demand for memory chips and graphics cards, on to consumers.

In the US, basic Xbox consoles rose by $100 to $499 and higher-memory models by $150 to $749, with comparable increases in the EU. Valve's newly launched Steam Machine has also arrived pricier than expected, citing the same hardware pressures, and industry watchers have suggested prices may rise further still. The hikes drew criticism online, including accusations of "highway robbery" for years-old hardware, and come as Microsoft's gaming division reports falling revenue and, in July, cut roughly 3,200 jobs in what it called the biggest restructuring in Xbox's history.

## Coverage

- [BBC Technology: Microsoft raises Xbox Series X and S prices in UK](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czjlvrd9e43o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)
- [IGN: 'Final Nail in the Coffin': Xbox Price Rises Revealed, Leaving Fans Stunned as Series X/S Spike By More Than a Third in Europe](https://www.ign.com/articles/final-nail-in-the-coffin-xbox-price-rises-revealed-leaving-fans-stunned-as-series-xs-spike-by-more-than-a-third-in-europe)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.