Microsoft raises Xbox console prices worldwide on August 1, 2026. That is tomorrow. The increase is $100 on 512 GB models and $150 on 1 TB models, and the 2 TB Series X gets discontinued outright. Xbox published all of it on June 25 in a post titled “Updated XBOX Console Prices.”

If you were going to buy an Xbox to play GTA 6 in November, today is the last day it costs what it costs now.

What changes on August 1

Xbox’s own post gives the increase as deltas, not a price list. The wording is exact: prices go up “by US$100 for 512 GB models and US$150 for 1 TB models.” Add those to today’s US prices and here is where each model lands.

Model US price through July 31 US price from August 1 Change
Xbox Series X 1 TB (disc) $649.99 $799.99 +$150
Xbox Series X 1 TB (digital) $599.99 $749.99 +$150
Xbox Series S 1 TB $449.99 $599.99 +$150
Xbox Series S 512 GB $399.99 $499.99 +$100

One thing to be precise about: Microsoft did not print that table. It published the deltas and nothing more. The dollar figures above are today’s prices plus Microsoft’s stated increase, and they match what Variety, Thurrott and GamesRadar have all reported.

The 2 TB Galaxy Black Series X is a separate case. It is not getting more expensive. Microsoft said it is “sunsetting our 2 TB model,” so that one just goes away.

Here is the part that stings. The Series X launched at $499.99 in 2020. From tomorrow, the disc version is $799.99. The Series S launched at $299.99. From tomorrow its 512 GB model is $499.99, which is what the flagship cost five years ago.

Why Microsoft says this is happening

The Xbox post does not hide behind vague language, which I will give it credit for. It says: “Last October, we increased XBOX console price by $20-$70 in the U.S. We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027.”

So this is the second increase in ten months, and Microsoft is telling you in the same breath that it expects component costs to double again by late 2027. Read that how you like.

The structural explanation is in the next line of the post: “Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.” When the parts get more expensive, a console maker has less room to absorb it than a phone maker does.

What to do in the next 24 hours

If you already know you want an Xbox, buy it today. That is the whole plan. There is no discount coming to cancel out $150, and nothing about the console changes tomorrow except what it costs you.

Check the current Xbox Series X price or check the Series S price before the day runs out.

If you are still undecided between platforms, do not let a deadline make the call for you. A rushed $800 purchase is worse than a $150 saving. Our PS5 vs Xbox Series X breakdown is where the hardware and controller side of that decision lives. This page is only about the money and the clock.

The routes Microsoft published for after tomorrow

If you miss the deadline, the announcement did list ways to soften it. All of these come straight from the Xbox post:

  • Buy Now Pay Later on eligible Xbox hardware through Microsoft Stores.
  • 0% APR financing for up to 12 months with partners.
  • Previously played console trade-in programs with retail partners.
  • Xbox Certified Refurbished consoles at Microsoft Stores for “up to US$100 off MSRP.”

Refurbished is the interesting one, because $100 off the new MSRP claws back most of the increase on a 512 GB machine. Two caveats. Microsoft only commits to “up to” $100, so treat the exact saving as whatever you see on the day. And GamesRadar reported on July 30 that refurbished Series X stock was unavailable at both Microsoft and Best Buy Geek Squad, so the refurb route looked thin for the flagship in late July. Stock like that moves daily, so check rather than assume.

What this means if you are buying a console for GTA 6

Nothing about GTA 6 changes tomorrow. The game is still $79.99 for Standard and $99.99 for Ultimate on both platforms, still launching November 19, and the price increase does not touch games or accessories. Our GTA 6 price guide has the full breakdown.

What changes is the cost of the box you play it on. PS5 prices are untouched by any of this. Sony did its own increase back on April 2, 2026, blaming “continued pressures in the global economic landscape,” and those numbers have held since: $599.99 for the Digital Edition, $649.99 for the disc model, $899.99 for the Pro.

So from tomorrow, a disc Series X at $799.99 costs $150 more than a disc PS5 at $649.99. Same game, same November 19 date, same $79.99.

Check the current PS5 price and the PS5 Pro price if the gap has changed your mind.

None of that makes an Xbox a bad machine. It makes it the more expensive door into the same game, and you should know that before you spend.

The Series S is still the cheapest way in

Worth noting who Microsoft pointed at in its own announcement. The post names GTA 6 directly, calling the Series S “the lowest-cost way for console players to enjoy the biggest hits this year, including … Grand Theft Auto VI.”

That stays true after tomorrow. At $499.99 the 512 GB Series S is the cheapest new console that runs GTA 6, exactly $100 under a PS5 Digital. The catch is space. Rockstar has never officially published GTA 6’s install size, and the 512 GB model has well under 400 GB usable, so plan for a cleanout. Our storage and SSD guide covers what actually fits.

The one date to act on

Preload opens November 12 and the game lands November 19. Neither of those dates cares which console you own.

August 1 does. If Xbox is the platform you want, today is the cheapest it will be, and Microsoft’s own post says it expects component costs to double again by fall 2027. Buy today, or budget for the new number.

Pre-order GTA 6 for Xbox or pre-order it for PS5. That part costs the same either way.