Gamers had better start saving if they’re planning on buying the next generation Xbox. A new report alleges surging material costs, believed to be upwards of $999, could lead to the console being priced well over the $1,000 mark — and now Microsoft seems to have all but confirmed these rumours.
Of course, it probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given Microsoft’s recent pricing trends. The ROG Xbox Ally X ($1,000) and Rog Xbox Ally ($600), shocked the industry when they launched in October, although bosses later confirmed that the prices had been set by Asus. Unfortunately, however, this trend looks set to continue.
Sarah Bond, the President of Xbox, talked vaguely about Microsoft’s plans for the next generation, seemingly confirming the new invention will be a high-end PC and console hybrid.
“The next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience,” Bond said.
“You’re starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld [ROG Xbox Ally], but I don’t want to give it all away.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as the likes of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo often sell their consoles at a loss due to the sheer cost of the materials to build each unit.
The plan is to make up for the shortfall by selling millions of consoles, and generate even more revenue by releasing exclusive games and subscriptions.
But after a console generation largely dominated by PlayStation – with over 80 million PS5 consoles sold worldwide – it could be a sign of Xbox handing the reigns back over to Sony, especially with the PS6 expected to cost 50% less.
Known leaker Kepler speculates that the new Xbox will set gamers back a whopping $1,200, while the PS6 will cost a much more affordable $600.
This is a far cry from the Xbox Series X ($499), Xbox Series S ($299), and PS5 ($499) when they launched back in 2020.
Reacting to the price leak, one gamer posted on social media: “What?! I will never pay £1,000 for a new gaming console!”
While another added: “That’s completely ridiculous. I wonder how much the games are going to be too?!”
While next-gen plans are yet to be officially confirmed, the latest rumours suggest that it might be a good idea to start saving.