Engadget Urges Gamers to Skip $573 Xbox Series X as Microsoft Readies August 1 Price Hike
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Jun 26
Engadget Urges Gamers to Skip $573 Xbox Series X as Microsoft Readies August 1 Price Hike
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Jun 26
Summary
$573 for a discounted Xbox Series X and $350 for a Series S are poor buys, Engadget argues, even before Microsoft's latest price increase takes effect on August 1.
The outlet says the consoles are entering their sixth year yet still cost more than past sale prices—well above the sub-$400 Series X and $250 Series S levels seen in recent years, and in some cases above launch pricing.
Microsoft's broader Xbox turmoil underpins that warning: the report cites falling console profits, layoffs, studio-closure risks at Double Fine, Ninja Theory and Compulsion Games, and leadership changes in 2026.
Xbox's software strategy further weakens the case for buying hardware now, with first-party games already on PC and more titles spreading across platforms, making a next-generation wait—or no Xbox purchase at all—the smarter option.