Asics Considers Onitsuka Tiger Spinoff as Luxury Sneaker Brand Expands Globally 
Qualcomm Stock Gains After Jensen Huang Endorsement 
Alibaba Offers $1.5 Billion to Acquire Grocery Delivery Platform Pupu 
SK Hynix Stock Rebounds as AI Memory Chip Demand Fuels Expansion Plans 
Meta Challenges Australia’s Proposed Tech Tax, Citing U.S. Trade Agreement Concerns 
SpaceX IPO Sets Record With $75 Billion Raise, Valuation Hits $1.77 Trillion 
Wizz Air Beats Profit Forecast as Cost Controls Offset Industry Challenges 
GM and Peak Energy Partner to Advance Sodium-Ion Battery Technology for Grid Storage 
OpenAI Eyes Massive 10GW Ohio Data Center Campus in Potential $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Deal 
oOh!media Takeover Battle Intensifies as Bain Capital Joins Competing Bids 
Roku Explores Sale Options as Interest Grows in Streaming and Ad Business 
Oracle Stock Falls Despite Earnings Beat as Company Plans $40 Billion Financing for FY2027 
DOJ Clears Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Without Conditions 
OpenAI May Slash AI Service Prices Amid Growing Rivalry With Anthropic 
Changchun Targets EV Growth as China’s Auto Industry Consolidation Accelerates 
Meta Delays Release of New AI Model as API Rollout Remains Uncertain 
EngineAI Files for Hong Kong IPO Amid Rising Demand for AI and Robotics Stocks 
Various tech products and services have increased prices with the ongoing economic downturn and global inflation, but not Xbox Game Pass and Xbox console. However, Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer said that would likely change in the future.
Spencer, along with other tech executives, appeared at the WSJ Tech Live this week for interviews. During Microsoft’s segment, the subject of console and Game Pass subscriptions was brought up, where Spencer hinted at imminent price changes.
It is worth noting that the Xbox Series X/S consoles are still available at their original recommended retail prices of $499 and $399, respectively. Xbox and PC Game Pass subscriptions also remain at $9.99 per month and $14.99 monthly for the Ultimate tier.
Spencer pointed this out at the event (via The Verge’s Tom Warren), noting that Microsoft has kept the prices of Xbox consoles, games, and Game Pass subscriptions for a while now. But he added, “I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever.”
It now appears that it is only a matter of when Xbox consoles and Game Pass subscriptions will become more expensive. Spencer suggested, however, that these price hikes may not be implemented anytime soon. “I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was really important that we maintain the prices that we have,” the Xbox chief said
This is somewhat a different tone from the company’s previous remarks whenever Xbox prices were discussed. To be fair, though, Microsoft’s statements have always been worded in a way that left an opening for future changes.
After Sony increased PS5 prices in most regions in August, Microsoft said it is “constantly evaluating” its business while telling consumers that Xbox Series X/S prices will not change for now.
Spencer said something similar in a later interview with CNBC last month, recognizing that customers are facing challenges in the current economic climate “We don’t think it’s the right move for us at this point to be raising prices on our console,” he added.
Photo by Pasqualino Capobianco on Unsplash
