This remarkable generation continues to be the opposite of all previous console eras. After five years, console prices would typically have fallen significantly, at which point hardware sales would take off as the so-called casual gamers jumped on board.
This time around, anyone who wanted a cheap PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X should have bought their console on release day, which is when they are usually the most expensive. Since then, prices have only gone up. There are many explanations for this, but this year has been extreme. Sony raised the price of the PlayStation 5 in the US as recently as last month, and Microsoft has already raised prices in the US earlier in 2025, and now it's time again.
The Xbox Series S is going from $379.99 to $399.99, while the Xbox Series X is going from $599.99 to $649.99, and other Xbox models are also going up in price. Microsoft says the reason for the increase is "changes in the macroeconomic environment," which a lot of people seem to think is because of the high tariffs imposed by the United States.
As mentioned, this only applies in the US for now, but it is not out of the question that Europe will also be affected, as several large companies seem unwilling to let American consumers bear the entire cost of the tariffs.
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