Update:-
The official Xbox Brazilian website has now officially confirmed the new pricing without sharing any reasons behind the increase.
Original Story:-
Microsoft came up with a different strategy this generation, launching two consoles at a lower and higher price point. The Xbox Series S was crucial to this strategy, but due to global price hikes, Microsoft has struggled to maintain its price.
This console could be purchased for just $300, and for this price, the Xbox Series S skipped features like a disc drive, 4K gaming, and more. Nonetheless, these were acceptable trade-offs, and the budget console quickly became popular.
However, Microsoft has recently increased the console’s price in Brazil, possibly hinting at a similar scenario for other nations.
Why it matters: Such price hikes go against the notion of a budget console. In nations like Brazil, buying consoles is already hard enough, so this move has proven very unpopular.
Brazilian store The Enemy confirmed the recent price hike for the Xbox Series S. They have received a statement from Microsoft, which confirms that the price is going up. However, the Xbox Series X has remained unaffected.
This price hike is also a massive one as the budget console, which was available for around R$2500, will now be sold for R$3,599 after the new price is implemented. This is a massive increase of around $710.
For context, following the price hike, the Xbox Series S will cost as much as the PS5 Digital Edition. However, it is important to note that the new price will only be applied to the original 512GB model.
The recently released 1TB model will not be impacted by this change. Nonetheless, we find this new price quite surprising since the console can no longer be considered a budget offering after matching the PS5 Digital Edition.
Earlier this year, Microsoft also raised the price of the Xbox Series X in various regions like Japan and the UK. However, the price uplifts in these instances were not as severe as Brazil’s situation.
While Microsoft has issued an official statement confirming price adjustments, it has not elaborated on the matter. Many fans are curious about the reasons behind such prices, though they are unlikely to receive an answer anytime soon.
We hope that Microsoft figures something out and brings the Xbox Series S price down to affordable rates.
The console has become a fan-favorite for its cost-effective current-gen gaming. However, in a nation like Brazil, these prices will undoubtedly become a hurdle for many passionate gamers.
While Phil Spencer has already clarified that more price hikes are expected in the future, we hope Xbox can offer more appropriate prices for regions like Brazil.
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[News Reporter]
Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.