There’s no shortage of rumors and predictions for the video game industry. However, this latest rumor is gaining some traction amid fears that console prices could go up yet again. We’ve seen Microsoft raise prices on its consoles more than once this year, and it may not be over. There’s a new rumor circulating online suggesting component shortages could be the result of a pricing influx.
Of course, this is just a rumor right now. Instead, there’s been no new price adjustments for the consoles currently set. Instead, there’s usually a push to lower prices. After all, we are heading into the holidays, and Black Friday is this week. That usually offers deals on a wide variety of products. But afterwards, a price increase announcement may sway consumers from buying an Xbox Series X/S console.
Xbox Consoles Going Up Again?
Thanks to the folks over at Kotaku, we’re finding out that Moore’s Law Is Dead released a new video noting the new price-hike fear. According to their sources, multiple Microsoft sales reps noted that a supply shortage could affect Xbox Series consoles very soon. The culprit of this shortage is AI.
You’ve undoubtedly seen AI booming across several industries, even in personal use. This AI revolution right now requires serious components to keep going, and it’s leading to DRAM shortages. It’s reported that AMD had to raise prices due to this, and that could play a role in how much the next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony will cost when they hit the market.
However, before those consoles even release, pricing could affect current platforms. Since Microsoft is reportedly already warning of shortages hitting Series X/S consoles, that could mean we’ll see prices inflate even further. After all, we’ve seen the Xbox Series X launch at $500 only to now cost $650.
Again, this isn’t the trend we usually see with consoles this late in their lifecycle. Typically, consoles start to cost less at this point, but that’s unfortunately not the case. Hopefully, these reports prove false, and we’re not seeing another price hike. That said, if you were on the fence on picking up a Series X/S console at this point, you might want to go for it before a sudden price hike hits.
