Xbox Series X Special Edition Pricing Confirms 2026 Is a Dangerous 12 months for Gamers

This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/xbox-series-x-special-edition-price-2026-bad-year-for-gamers/
and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us


The previous few years have been tough for players, with AI-driven worth hikes on reminiscence, GPUs and SSDs hitting PC and console players’ wallets exhausting. Unfortunately, there’s no respite for Xbox followers if a brand new rumor is true about Microsoft’s special-edition translucent inexperienced Xbox — it might allegedly retail for round $900, which is even increased than how costly the console has develop into after a number of worth hikes.

The twenty fifth Anniversary Edition Xbox Series X on show at Microsoft’s Xbox Showcase on the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.

French website Dealabs, which is often dependable for these sorts of leaks, lists the unit at a €900 worth. Given Microsoft’s tendency to match British and US costs regardless of conversion variations, we’d count on the special-edition console to retail for $900. Dealabs additionally suggests it should have a Nov. 27 launch date, which places the launch proper round Black Friday, although you probably gained’t be getting a lot of a reduction throughout it.

A Microsoft Xbox consultant didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

“Presuming the special 25th anniversary edition is otherwise identical to a stock Xbox Series X console, the rumored price is $100 extra for green plastic on top of the current $800 price after hikes. It would be a staggering $400 on top of the Xbox Series X’s launch price of $500,” stated CNET Managing Editor David Lumb, who acquired to see the console in particular person at Microsoft’s Xbox occasion throughout Summer Game Fest in June.

CNET’s sister website IGN (additionally owned by Ziff Davis) famous that it’s a $100 greater than the usual Xbox Series X with a disc drive ($800) and the identical worth as a typical PlayStation 5 Pro ($900). With the extra basic design parts giving players a throwback to the unique Xbox console that launched 25 years in the past, it’s probably that Microsoft will nonetheless see brisk gross sales from players pushed by nostalgia.

The unlucky reality is that worth will increase for gaming {hardware} are a actuality of the video games trade proper now, attributable to rising element costs ensuing from the RAM scarcity, in addition to tariffs and logistical points. Nintendo hasn’t been immune, both, with a worth hike for the Switch 2 beginning Sept. 1, anticipated to carry the unit as much as $500, a $50 enhance because the console launched final June.

Sony additionally raised the costs of its whole console lineup on April 2, with across-the-board increases that introduced the PlayStation 5 Pro to $900 (up from $700), the PlayStation 5 with disc reader to $650 (up from $500) and the hand held PlayStation Portal as much as $250 (up from $200).

The twenty fifth Anniversary Edition Xbox Series X on show at Microsoft’s Xbox Showcase on the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.David Lumb/CNET

Microsoft elevated the value of its consoles twice because the current RAM scarcity and tariff woes, seeing jumps that make its techniques far costlier six years after they launched; In each earlier era, consoles have gotten considerably cheaper over time.

The first hike was again in Sept. 2025, which raised costs of its Xbox console lineup with the digital-only Series S 512GB reaching $400 (up from $300), the common Series X with disc drive acquired hiked to $650 (up from $500), and the Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition raised to $800 (up from $730, itself having gotten a worth bump in May 2025 from $600 the place it began).

The second spherical of Xbox worth hikes was introduced again in June, elevating the Series S 512GB to $500 and 1TB choice to $600, the Series X (digital-only) to $750 and the Series X (disc drive) to $800. In the identical swath of worth will increase, Microsoft introduced it will discontinue the 2TB particular version of the Xbox Series X console, leaving solely 1TB variations left.

As we’ve famous earlier than, gaming over the previous 12 months or two has more and more felt like a luxurious pastime, and there doesn’t appear to be an finish in sight, though RAM worth will increase did slow in late March and early April.

In the meantime, players could merely must both pay the brand new, increased costs or proceed utilizing older {hardware}.


This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/xbox-series-x-special-edition-price-2026-bad-year-for-gamers/
and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us