Former Microsoft VP Criticizes โขSecond Xbox price โคIncrease
REDMOND, WA – September 26, 2023 – microsoft is raising prices on its โคxbox Series X and Series S consoles in teh โคUS starting October 3,โข marking the second price hike โthis year. While the company โattributes โฃthe increase to “changes inโ the macroeconomic environment,” โa former Microsoft executive โpublicly disputes this reasoning, claiming theโข issueโข stems โฃfrom unsatisfactory profits.
The price adjustments will see โthe Xbox Series X increaseโค from โ$600 to $650, โฃthe Xboxโฃ Series S jump โfrom $380 to $400, and theโฃ Galaxy Black Special โEdition rise from $730 โขto $800. The initialโ price increase occurred inโค May, which Microsoftโข justified due to tariffs.
Mike Ybarra, formerโฃ corporate vice president of Microsoft’s gaming division, took to X (formerlyโ Twitter) to voice his disagreement. “Andโ the โreason โขwhy profits are not โwhere they should be is a far,far deeper issue vs. the tariff excuse,” ybarra posted on September โข20.
He further clarified that while the may increase was justifiable due to tariffs, the current hike โpoints to a different underlying problem. Ybarra suggests the company is asking consumers to absorb the cost of a console โand ecosystem strategy โขthat has led to declining demand.
Consumers looking to purchase โฃan Xbox Series console โคat the current price have until October โค2 beforeโค theโ new โprices take affect across all retailers.