Xbox prices are rising. Starting in October, the price of the new Xbox Series X/S will be $649.99. The rising prices seem to be having a negative effect, too. The retailer chain Costco has recently pulled all of its Xbox Series X/S inventory despite rising popularity of Xbox games.
It’s a Business Decision
Costco has confirmed that they have pulled its inventory of Xbox Series X/S products, citing that it was a business decision. Destin Lagarie of Costco confirmed that they will no longer carry the current-gen consoles, although Costco will continue to stock Nintendo and PlayStation.
Xbox Pulled in More Stores?
The Canadian game retailer EB Games is reportedly also pulling Xbox products. The retailer is selling remaining stock online, but has no plans to restock. On their website, the Series S is available for delivery or pickup. The Series X is only available for pickup.
Price Hike
This could only be the beginning. It remains to be seen whether other retailers will also drop Xbox products. This is actually the second time Microsoft has raised the price on their Xbox products this year. They cite “the changing macroeconomic environment” as being the cause. Microsoft stated,
“We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and providing value for Xbox players.”
It seems likely that services such as Xbox Game Pass which is an online gaming subscription service, will start to replace more of the consoles that you see in stores. It may be much like the way music went from being on records to eventually being totally digital. The Xbox you know and love may be going slowly extinct. But, the good news is your games will be digitally stored and you won’t have to worry about your console being damaged or your discs being scratched.
