This generation has been crazy in many ways, and one of the least pleasant has been the repeated increase in hardware prices, when in previous generations we did nothing but see drops every one or two years. After Sony has increased the prices of its consoles in the past, now Microsoft has also announced increases that will increase the cost of gaming for enthusiasts.

We thus discover that, in Europe, Xbox consoles suffer the following price increase from today:

• Xbox Series X goes from €549.99 to €599.99
• Xbox Series X Digital White goes from €499.99 to €549.99
• Xbox Series X 2 TB Galaxy Black goes from €649.99 to €699.99
• Xbox Series S goes from €299.99 to €349.99
• Xbox Series S 1TB Carbon Black goes from €349.99 to €399.99

The controllers also receive a price increase: 5 Euros for the standard and colored controllers, 10 Euros for the Limited Edition ones and the Elite Controller 2 Core, 20 Euros for the standard Elite Controller 2.

Finally, from the end of the year the price of some first party games will also rise, which can cost up to 80 Euros. But, at least in this case, we fortunately have the Game Pass Ultimate to help us, which will thus become even more convenient.

In a statement to IGN, Microsoft said it understands "that these changes are challenging" and that they were made "with careful consideration given to market conditions and rising development costs."

Analyst Daniel Ahmad, on the other hand, tells us that the increase in hardware prices is largely due to the tariffs imposed in the US on products from China, since all Xbox hardware is produced there. And if you are wondering why this has also impacted Europe, the answer is as simple as it is disheartening: global markets are used to "control" the increase in the US, a strategy that Sony has also used in the past.