A limited edition Xbox Series X, featuring a distinctive translucent design, is set to launch on Black Friday, commemorating Xbox’s 25th anniversary. The Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition will reportedly be priced at €899.99, according to information from a reputable source.
Premium Pricing and Design Features
The Xbox Series X25 stands out with its see-through green casing, allowing users a glimpse at the console’s inner workings. It also includes a matching controller. This release is priced €100 above the standard 1TB Xbox Series X, which offers a disc drive and retails at €799.99. In contrast, the PS5 Pro in Europe costs the same €899.99, indicating a competitive pricing strategy from Microsoft.
UK Pricing Speculation
While UK pricing details have yet to be confirmed, the PS5 Pro is available for £789.99. Following this pricing logic, the special edition Series X might similarly stay £100 above the regular disc-drive model, currently sold at £669.99.
Restructuring within Xbox
This anniversary release follows significant changes within Microsoft’s Xbox division, which have led to widespread layoffs. So far, 1600 jobs have been cut, with another 1600 expected to follow by next summer. This has already caused studio splits and reduced game production capabilities, leading to organised protests from employees.
Price Hikes in the Market
In response to a global shortage of memory and storage components, driven by AI datacenter demands, Microsoft has increased Xbox console prices earlier this year. The Xbox Series S now costs £430, up from £300, and the disc-drive Series X has risen to £670.
Future Challenges
Asha Sharma, the head of Xbox, has forecasted continuing challenges with component costs, predicting a further doubling by autumn 2027. These challenges are expected to affect the pricing and availability of the upcoming Project Helix console. As a result, Microsoft is considering new business models for its future releases.
Reporting based on coverage first published by eurogamer.net.