Microsoft upping the price of Xbox hardware in Japan

Microsoft is increasing the price of the Xbox Series X|S in Japan after evaluating market conditions in the region.

The company will raise the price of both consoles by around 5,000 yen ($38), meaning the Series X will now retail for 59,978 yen and the Series S will cost 37,978 yen.

As reported by Gematsu (via Famitsu), the price hike will come into effect on February 17, 2023.

"After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country," reads a Microsoft statement.

"We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions. This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect."

The news comes around five months after Xbox said it had no plans to raise the price of its console hardware in any region.

In December last year, however, the company said it would be bumping the price of first-party software up to $70 in 2023, starting with Forza Motorsport, Redfall, and Starfield.

Other companies, including PlayStation maker Sony and VR outfit Meta, have also raised the price of hardware in certain markets.

Game Developer has reached out to Microsoft for more information on the price increase.