Xbox hardware prices are reportedly rising in India — from June 30. The Xbox Series S, priced at Rs. 34,990 since launch, will soon cost Rs. 36,990, which constitutes a price increase of nearly 6 percent. The cost of the Xbox Wireless Controller — the one that comes with Series S/X — is going up nearly 4 percent from Rs. 5,390 to Rs. 5,590. And lastly, the Xbox Wireless Headset moves from Rs. 8,990 to Rs. 9,490, a jump of over 5 percent. There’s no word on a price increase for the Xbox Series X — available at Rs. 49,990 when in stock — which is curious. Gadgets 360 has reached out to Microsoft India, and we will update this article if we hear back.
Industry insider Rishi Alwani, formerly of Gadgets 360, brings word of the price revisions across the board for the Xbox hardware line-up in India. “No reason [has been] given,” Alwani notes. Gadgets 360 has also asked Microsoft for comment on why Xbox hardware is getting more expensive in India. One possible reason could be the weakening INR against the USD — though that’s merely speculation on our part. Since the launch of Xbox Series S/X in November 2020, 1 USD has gone from being equivalent to 74 INR to 78 INR. That’s a change of over 5 percent, roughly in line with India’s Xbox price increases.
If that is indeed the reason, we could soon see other companies raise prices for their products similarly. With global inflation already raising the prices of daily needs, this is only going to further impact consumer wallets. A video gaming console might be a luxury item, but nevertheless, buyers are going to feel the pinch. While Xbox Wireless Controller has usually been available for less than the official MRP, the Xbox Series S has only once been offered on sale — and that was before it launched in late 2020. No such offer has ever existed for the Series X, which continues to suffer from supply constraints.
From June 30 reportedly, the Xbox Series S costs Rs. 36,990, the Xbox Wireless Controller is priced at Rs. 5,590, and the Xbox Wireless Headset comes in at Rs. 9,490 in India.