Microsoft is raising Xbox prices for the second time in under a year, and current deals at Walmart, Target, and Dell create a short window before the August increases take effect.
Starting in August, the 1TB Xbox Series X — the flagship model with a 4K Blu-ray player built in — will rise from $649.99 to $799.99. The disc-free Xbox Series S, which tops out at 1440p rather than 4K, will climb from $399.99 to $499.99. Before those prices kick in, Walmart has the Series X at $573 and Target at $573.99. Dell is selling the 512GB Series S for $349.99; Target offers the same disc-free model for $379.99, which may work for buyers who want local pickup or have Target-specific discounts.
The Series S increase deserves a second look: a $100 jump is a roughly 25 percent climb for what was positioned as the affordable option. It also narrows the post-hike gap between the two consoles — the Series S at $499.99 versus the Series X at $799.99, a $300 spread. Microsoft attributed both rounds of increases to sustained memory price pressures affecting industries well beyond gaming.
Two hikes in under a year, both carrying the same memory-cost explanation, means the sub-$400 Xbox Series S is now a recent memory rather than a current price.