The Xbox Series S grabs a massive price hike and now costs as much as a PS5 Digital in Brazil, and Microsoft won’t explain why
Now the same price as a PS5 Digital Edition.
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What you need to know
Microsoft’s two-SKU Xbox model strategy is designed to target lower and higher-end price points, but that strategy now looks a fair bit stranger in one country.News initially broke from Brazilian outletThe Enemy, which received a statement from Microsoft indicating that the price of theXbox Series Swas going up, but not the price of theXbox Series X.“At Xbox, we remain focused on offering the best gaming experience at a variety of price points, so gamers can choose what best fits their gaming needs and budget,” reads the statement. “In the coming weeks, we will begin to communicate price adjustments for Xbox Series S consoles in Brazil.““While the console remains an important part of the Xbox ecosystem, we will continue to offer great games, skills and options for gamers in Brazil so they can play how and where they want.”
The Enemy notes that prior to this price increase, the Xbox Series S was available between R$2000 and R$2500, but the console will now be listed at a suggested retail price of R$3,599, which is around the retail price of the original PS5 Digital Edition model. This price increase is only applying to the white 512GB Xbox Series S, not the 1TB black model.
When we reached out to Microsoft for comment, the company referred us to the The Enemy’s article, confirming the price hike.
Analysis: That’s not good
I’m aware that the economy around the world is troubled and different regions have different specific issues, but this seems like a mistake. The gulf between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S has been drastically decreased, so it seems far more likely that most players who want an Xbox console will just save up a bit more and go for the higher-end model.
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
