It’s been about a month since Microsoft, in an effort to respond to the increasing costs of production, announced an increase in the price of their Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S products in Japan, and now they’ve upped costs in another market. It was recently discovered that they’ve hiked the prices in Sweden; the Xbox Series X costs SEK 6,195 and the Xbox Series S costs SEK 3,895, up from SEK 5,695 and SEK 3,595, respectively.
Though Microsoft has yet to confirm if other European countries will follow suit, Phil Spencer & Co. had previously mentioned that they were considering this type of increase in price, so it’s entirely possible that other markets may see a similar rise in cost. Before the news of the Swedish price hikes, Sony had already raised the price of the PS5 in most countries outside of the United States.
The price of production and materials has been steadily increasing in recent years, and Microsoft have made an effort to address this issue by making Xbox Series X and Series S even more cost efficient for the consumer. The Xbox Series X and Series S are both powered by AMD’s Zen 2 CPUs and offer 7.1 surround sound and support for Dolby Atmos, as well as a third-generation AMD RDNA 2 GPU boosting clock speeds of up to 12 teraflops and GDDR6 memory. Both consoles are equipped with advanced features and capabilities, and consumers in Sweden are still able to take full advantage of these features — even in the face of the slight increase in price.
The Xbox Series X and Series S are essential for any gamer who’s looking to unlock their gaming potential, and increasing prices shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a negative. The technology that these consoles offer, combined with their increased processing power, enables gamers to experience new worlds, challenge themselves to different tasks, and makes gaming an even more enjoyable experience.
Price increases are unfortunately inevitable, so understanding why the price hikes are happening is important. Microsoft’s goal with the Xbox Series X and Series S is to give players more power, speed and performance than ever before, while attempting to balance their own economic aspirations — even in a difficult economic situation. No matter what your budget is, the Xbox Series X and Series S are still worth the investment, and the increased prices should not be seen as prohibitive.
It’s important to remember that the increase in prices is not only a sign of current economic strain, but it could also be a sign of development and innovation in the industry. In the face of natural inflation, technological advancement and hardship, the Xbox Series X and Series S are still worth the money, enabling gamers to explore new worlds and experiences that simply weren’t possible before.
Do you have the Xbox Series X or Series S? How have you been enjoying it so far? Let us know in the comments – we’d love to hear your thoughts on the console and the price increase!
