Xbox Series X, India Controllers Price Increase Again: Report

Xbox Series X is reportedly getting a price hike in India – again. According to gaming analyst Rishi Alwani, Microsoft’s next-generation console will be priced at Rs. 55,990, will be effective later this month. That’s an increase of more than 5 percent, while the Series X was previously priced at Rs. 52,990. This is the second price hike in four months, and is likely due to the weakening of the Indian Rupee (INR) against the US Dollar (USD). Gadgets 360 has reached out to Microsoft India for comment, and we’ll update this story when we hear back. When it launched in late 2020, the Xbox Series X was listed at Rs. 49,990.

The price hike for Series X India comes after Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer admitted that they won’t be able to maintain the current price of Series X for long. talking to The Wall Street JournalSpencer said: “We caught it [US] price on our console, we hold the price on games and subscriptions. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on some things, but we’re into this [American] holidays [season]we thought it was really important to keep the prices that we have.” In the US, before taxes, the Series X costs $499 (roughly Rs. 41,200).

In addition to Series X, Microsoft is reportedly increasing the cost of controllers in India. The Xbox Wireless Controller’s Robot White and Carbon Black variants will now cost Rs. 5,990. That is an increase of 5 percent again, from the old Rs. 5,690 price tag. If you are interested in the Shock Blue and Electric Volt color options, they will be priced at Rs. 6,590 soon, from Rs. 6,290. That’s an increase of more than 4 percent. As always, Xbox controllers are available below MRP in India.

Microsoft had earlier increased the Indian price of its disc-free console Xbox Series S to Rs. 37,990 in August, and attributed the upward trend to the weaker strength of the INR against the USD.

Back in August, Sony increased the prices of its next-generation PS5 in several markets, starting with the UK, Canada, and Australia, citing global inflation rates and negative currency trends. In India, the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition currently remain at their respective launch costs of Rs. 49,990 and Rs. 39,990.