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These are uncertain times for the gaming industry. While developers and studios struggle to cope with the near-constant layoffs, players are adapting to a world where the price of consoles and games feels inconsistent at best. While buying the new Nintendo Switch 2 will cost you more than we expected, Microsoft has also just raised the price of their Xbox consoles and games.

While they didn’t mention the tariffs that President Trump has imposed on goods coming from China in their statement, the timing is more than a little suspicious. Not only will the Xbox Series S/X consoles be more expensive, but some new, first-party games (i.e., the ones that they hope will really sell the console) will cost $79.99 this holiday season. In their announcement, Microsoft said, “We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.”

How much of a price increase players can expect will depend on which version of the Xbox console they buy. For example, the Xbox Series S 512GB will cost $379.99, up from $299.99. An Xbox Wireless Controller will now cost $64.99. On average, the cost of Microsoft Xbox consoles and hardware is increasing by around 20% across the board.

Again, Microsoft did not mention Trump’s tariffs in their statement, but the timing – and their comment about “market conditions” playing a part – make it easy to lay the blame there. It is also possible that they saw the price that Nintendo was planning to charge for their first-party games and thought this was a good chance to increase their own prices as well. Whatever the reason, it is going to be more expensive to be a gamer in 2025 than it ever has before.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
• Gamify My Life, our weekly gaming column designed
• Popverse Picks: The best Assassin's Creed protagonists
• How to play every GTA game in order
• Why the GTA 6 budget isn't as crazy as you think
• The Magic: The Gathering x Spider-Man crossover set wouldn't exist without the Spider-Verse

And be sure to check Popverse regularly for the latest gaming news.