Xbox next-gen console pricing has fans braced for the worst

Xbox fans are terrified about how the next generation of consoles is going to be priced, following Microsoft’s recent announcement that the recommended retail prices of their current-gen systems and games are set to increase.

Uh-oh, the gaming industry is looking pretty dire right now.

It all started exactly one month ago today, with Nintendo’s announcement that some Nintendo Switch 2 games will cost $80 at launch.

Then, two weeks ago, Sony revealed that the RRP of PlayStation 5 consoles and PlayStation Plus would be increasing in certain regions.

And now it’s Microsoft’s turn, because they’ve just announced that the price of Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles, as well as certain peripherals, has been increased. Worst still, they also revealed that certain “first-party games” will cost $80 moving forward too.

I'm guessing 2026's Fable will fall under that banner.

In a statement on the official Xbox Support website, Microsoft stated that they “understand that these changes are challenging”, but that “they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development".

Unfortunately, that hasn’t really put gamers’ minds at ease. Over on the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, several commenters aren’t thrilled about how this will affect the industry moving forward.

“With the way things are looking, everyone else will probably follow suit,” commented user Hamburgulu. “I think it's almost time for me to hang up the hat and find another hobby.”

“Xbox hardware sales has been abysmal for years. This is the final nail,” replied one user. “Now NO ONE is gonna buy an Xbox for GTA VI, which will arguably be the biggest system seller this generation. But Xbox still has Game Pass, and that service is miles better than anything on the market.”

Yeah… I don’t have any words of encouragement for you this week, folks.

Polygon just got bought by Valnet. Giant Bomb just got screwed over. EA just fired 300 employees at Respawn. And now… all of this. It’s not a great week for the gaming industry, to say the least.

Does anyone know any cheaper hobbies? Crocheting sounds fun. Maybe I’ll take up gardening…