Xbox price increase has gamers making the move to PlayStation

Xbox gamers are threatening to jump to PlayStation following a recent price increase.

Despite being at the tail end of this generation, video games and consoles are getting more expensive. Typically, not necessarily the video games, but consoles would gradually reduce in cost as we nudge closer to the next-gen.

For example, when the PlayStation 4 Pro was released in November 2016, it was roughly the same price as the standard PS4 when it launched in November 2013.

However, 2024’s PlayStation 5 Pro currently has an RRP of £699.99 (without a disc drive, might I add), compared to the standard PS5 launch price of £449.99 (with a disc drive).

Now, the PlayStation 5 (with a disc drive) has an RRP of £479.99, making it £30 more expensive than when it originally launched, albeit a slightly slimmer and lighter model.

But what about Xbox? After all, Microsoft has also been bumping up its prices, to the annoyance of gamers, and understandably so.

At the moment, the Xbox Series X has jumped from its launch price of £449.99 to £499.99, an increase of £50. But what about the smaller, digital-only Xbox Series S? A less powerful but cheaper alternative.

The Xbox Series S launched at a modest £249.99 but has also seen an increase of £50, taking it to £299.99. At the time of writing, you can pick up a PlayStation 5 (digital edition) for £339.99 via PlayStation Direct with a tidy £90 discount.

So, for just £40 more, the PlayStation 5 (disc edition) has better graphics and resolution, increased storage space and more. This is likely a reason why some Xbox gamers are considering jumping ship.

“In light of the Xbox price increases, is anyone else considering branching out to PS5?” asked Redditor bruceknuckle.

“I love my Series S, but do wonder about how some games will look and run on it in the next few years,” they continued. I was thinking about grabbing a PS5 before the potential price increase, to have a more powerful machine.”

“It's something to consider, I have a PS5 and Xbox Series X but still prefer the X because of Game Pass,” replied Upper-Self-7198.

“PlayStation prices will be going up too,” warned Trickybuz93 (and they have).

“PlayStation will follow suit soon enough. Nintendo opened the floodgates,” said AbbreviationsPale380, referring to the price of the Switch 2 and its games, such as Mario Kart World.

With all these price hikes across the board, it just makes me increasingly concerned about how much we’d need to pay for games and consoles when the next-gen arrives.