Microsoft is about to increase the price of the Xbox Series X and Game Pass, The Verge reports.
In a statement sent to the outlet, Kari Perez, the head of communications at Xbox, confirmed the price hikes. Microsoft will increase the price of its high-end ninth-generation console, the Xbox Series X, beginning August 1. The Verge notes that the pricing will impact most countries (not including the US), explaining that the cost of an Xbox Series X will be £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 across most European markets, CAD $649.99 in Canada, and AUD $799.99 in Australia. Important to note that the Xbox Series S will remain at the same price of $299.99 for the 512GB model or $349.99 for the 1TB model.
However, the price of Xbox Game Pass will increase in all countries with the service. Beginning July 6, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will now cost $16.99 (a $2 increase), and regular Xbox Game Pass will now cost $10.99 monthly (a $1 increase). However, the price of PC Game Pass will remain at $9.99 a month. This is the first time that Microsoft has announced an increase for Xbox Game Pass since the service launched in 2017.
The announcements are not entirely surprising, considering Xbox boss Phil Spencer mentioned last October that the price of Xbox hardware and Game Pass would go up at some point. “We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market,” Perez told The Verge.
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The news comes at an interesting time for Microsoft, as the company heads to court today to face the FTC as the agency is requesting a preliminary injunction that would prevent Microsoft from closing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC announced last year it was suing Microsoft over the deal, with an evidentiary hearing separate from this month’s trial, currently scheduled for August 2.
Although Microsoft currently has a legal bout with the FTC to determine the future of its Activision Blizzard deal, Perez told The Verge that its acquisition has nothing to do with the company increasing the price of Xbox Game Pass. “Microsoft hasn’t changed its Xbox Game Pass pricing since launching the subscription in 2017, and the company is keen to stress this isn’t related to its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” Perez told The Verge. “These Game Pass price adjustments are not related to the Activision Blizzard deal and are intended to match local market conditions.”
An interesting clarification from Perez considering that the UK’s Competition Markets Authority (CMA), which blocked the deal a few month ago had raised concerns that if Microsoft purchased Activision Blizzard, it would make Xbox Game Pass more expensive.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.