Xbox Series price hike: up to $150 more from August
Microsoft raises Xbox Series X and S prices: $100 more for the 512 GB model and $150 for the 1 TB version from August. AI-driven memory shortages are here to stay.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Microsoft raises Xbox Series prices: $100 and $150 more from August
Microsoft has confirmed a new price increase for Xbox Series X and S, effective August 1, 2026. The 512 GB models will cost $100 more; the 1 TB versions, $150. The hike comes on top of the September 2025 increase and does not look temporary.
Memory is the real bottleneck
The main cause lies in memory. Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have shifted production toward the HBM consumed by artificial intelligence. The result: data centers now take half of the world's DRAM, and DRAM contract prices rose between 13% and 18% in the third quarter of 2026. A 1 TB SSD has gone from $45 to $90 in a year, and all of 2026's NAND output was sold before it was even manufactured.
Consumers in the crosshairs
The blow is worse for consoles than for PCs or smartphones: they don't allow easy upgrades and margins are tighter. Microsoft is also discontinuing the 2 TB Xbox Series X, further reducing storage options.
SK Hynix warns that the shortage could last beyond 2030. More price increases are expected in late 2026 and 2027. Anyone wanting a cheap console would be wise not to wait too long. But as we all know: in the end, the consumer pays.
Microsoft has confirmed a new price increase for Xbox Series X and S, effective August 1, 2026. The 512 GB models will cost $100 more; the 1 TB versions, $150. The hike comes on top of the September 2025 increase and does not look temporary.
Memory is the real bottleneck
The main cause lies in memory. Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have shifted production toward the HBM consumed by artificial intelligence. The result: data centers now take half of the world's DRAM, and DRAM contract prices rose between 13% and 18% in the third quarter of 2026. A 1 TB SSD has gone from $45 to $90 in a year, and all of 2026's NAND output was sold before it was even manufactured.
Consumers in the crosshairs
The blow is worse for consoles than for PCs or smartphones: they don't allow easy upgrades and margins are tighter. Microsoft is also discontinuing the 2 TB Xbox Series X, further reducing storage options.
SK Hynix warns that the shortage could last beyond 2030. More price increases are expected in late 2026 and 2027. Anyone wanting a cheap console would be wise not to wait too long. But as we all know: in the end, the consumer pays.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (9 replies).
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