Microsoft has raised the price of its Xbox Series X by $150 to $749, while the Xbox Series S now costs $499 — a 25% jump. The increases come just months after Sony bumped the PlayStation 5 by $100 to $649.99 in March. Both moves are tied to soaring memory chip costs, driven by AI data centers that have nearly sextupled DRAM prices in a year. The timing is especially tough for gamers: Grand Theft Auto VI, arguably the most anticipated title of the decade, launches November 19 exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Why the prices are rising
The culprit is the same across the board: memory chips. AI data centers are consuming vast amounts of DRAM, squeezing supply for consumer electronics. Apple raised Mac and iPad prices earlier this year over similar memory costs. Now console makers are passing those costs along. Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis, linked Sony's March price hike directly to surging RAM demand. Microsoft's increase is even steeper — $150 versus Sony's $100 — and comes later in the console cycle, when prices typically fall.
GTA VI's standard edition will cost $79.99, with an Ultimate edition at $99.99. That's already a premium price for a game, and now the hardware to play it costs more too. Take-Two Interactive's stock dropped after pre-order pricing details emerged, suggesting investors are nervous about demand. Windows Central editor Jez Corden warned the increases may not be final, hinting that further price adjustments could come before the holiday rush. Sony may follow with another PS5 hike before GTA VI arrives, according to industry watchers.
Who's benefiting
Not everyone is hurting. AI memory stocks like Micron have surged as chipmakers profit from the shortage. The same forces that are making consoles more expensive are minting money for semiconductor companies. For gamers, it's a double whammy: higher hardware costs and a premium-priced blockbuster game. Microsoft's increase outpaces Sony's by a wide margin heading into the holiday season, which could shift buying decisions.
The question now is whether Sony will raise the PS5 price again before November. If memory costs keep climbing, another hike seems likely. For now, anyone planning to play GTA VI on day one will have to pay up — or wait.
