Xbox Urges Console Affordability Rethink as Series S Price Climbs to £430
Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Aug 27
Xbox Urges Console Affordability Rethink as Series S Price Climbs to £430
3 articles · Updated · Eurogamer.net · Aug 27
Summary
Asha Sharma said the console industry must innovate on affordability and efficiency as soaring hardware costs reshape plans for the next Xbox generation.
AI datacenter demand for memory and storage chips is driving the component crunch, which Sharma called "Rampocalypse" and said is forcing companies to rethink storage, memory and per-unit costs.
Microsoft already raised Xbox prices again this month, taking the 512GB Series S to £430 from its £250 launch price and the 1TB Series X to £670 from £450.
Sharma signaled Xbox may lean on new sales models to keep consoles reachable, after saying in June that radically different business models could emerge later this year.
The pressure extends across the sector: reports say PlayStation 6's bill of materials could approach $1,000, challenging the traditional high-power console model.