Gamers in Japan will be feeling hard done-by this February once Microsoft raises the prices of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles by JP¥yen.
Effective February 17, for the Xbox Series X, the suggested retail price will rise from JP¥54,978 to JP¥59,978, and for the Xbox Series S, it will rise from JP¥32,278 to JP¥37,978.
According to Gematsu, Microsoft released a statement that said:
After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country. We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions. This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect.
During WSJ Tech Live last year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer alluded to a price increase for the consoles in the near future, as well as an increase in the price of their games to $70.
I think at some point we’ll have to raise the prices on certain things, but going into the holiday we thought it was important to maintain the prices.
We’ve held price on our console, we’ve held price on games… and our subscription. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things.
In August last year, Sony increased the price of the PlayStation 5 across Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia as well as North America by 12.5%, citing global economic, inflationary, and supply chain pressures.
However, the 2020–present global chip shortage has affected the company's capability to meet market demand. Fortunately for Microsoft, it solved demand problems faster than Sony and gained ground on its biggest rival.
At the same time, Microsoft has recently experienced a bit of a rough patch. Besides having to jump the countless hurdles thrown by the EU Commission over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has been forced to lay off thousands of employees. Until the proposed acquisition goes through, Microsoft will need to come up with strategies to weather the storm.
Upcoming games from Xbox Game Studios, like Starfield, Redfall, and Forza Motorsport, will retail for $69.99 in the US once they're released.
