Sony has been on the receiving end of widespread criticism recently, having made the announcement that it’s increasing the prices of both PS5 models in select regions, including Europe, UK, Japan, and Canada. The company states it’s made the change due to “challenging economic conditions” such as ““high global inflation rates” and “adverse currency trends”.
It’s been an unsurprisingly unpopular change, but it seems like Microsoft doesn’t plan on following in its competitor’s footsteps- for now, at the very least. In a statement provided to Windows Central, the company confirmed that for the foreseeable future, it has no plans to increase prices for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, which will remain the same across various currencies.
“We are constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “Our Xbox Series S suggested retail price remains at $299 (£250, €300) the Xbox Series X is $499 (£450, €500).”
That doesn’t mean that Microsoft won’t ever raise the prices of its current-gen consoles, of course, but if nothing else, the company has at least provided assurances that Xbox Series X/S will continue to be sold at their current prices for the foreseeable future. Hopefully the backlash against Sony’s PS5 price changes does something to deter similar increases elsewhere.