Prices Have Gone Up: Game Consoles Have Become More Expensive Again 0 148

The largest manufacturers of game consoles raised prices for their products in 2025. This was noted by The Verge.

According to journalists, PlayStation, Microsoft, and Nintendo have increased prices for consoles worldwide or in certain regions. In late September, Microsoft announced that its consoles would become more expensive in the U.S. by amounts ranging from $20 to $70. The price of the Xbox Series S increased by $20 to $400. The flagship Series X rose by $70 to $799.

The new prices for consoles will take effect starting in October. The article states that in May, Microsoft announced a price increase for all consoles worldwide. The corporation explained this decision by "changes in the macroeconomic situation" — according to The Verge specialists, prices have risen due to high American tariffs.

At the end of summer, Sony — Microsoft's competitor in the gaming market — raised prices for PlayStation 5 models in the U.S. The price of each model increased by $50. Earlier, in early August, Nintendo also raised prices for its products. Thus, in the U.S., Switch consoles and their accessories became more expensive. All players in the console market explained the situation by the complex economic environment.

At the beginning of autumn, specialists from ArsTechnica stated that modern game consoles have started to become more expensive contrary to trends that have persisted for decades.

The media authors analyzed the prices of current game consoles from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, comparing them with consoles from previous years. They found that modern game consoles, even accounting for inflation, cost hundreds of dollars more than their predecessors. This trend disrupts the patterns that the gaming device market has followed for decades. According to journalists, consoles released before 2016 became cheaper over time. After three years on the market, the median price of game consoles was less than half of the launch price.

The main reasons for the inflated prices of consoles, according to the authors of the study, are the high level of inflation, import costs, and the consequences of the processor shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.