Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft’s new console could be the most expensive of the generation.

Microsoft’s new gaming console, the Xbox Series X, is slated to launch in time for the 2020 holiday season. However, if a new rumor is to be believed, the Series X could not only be the most expensive of the new console generation, but the most expensive gaming console Microsoft has ever created.


According to Alanah Pearce, one of the hosts of the Kinda Funny XCast on YouTube, an unnamed retail associate told her that the Xbox Series X will cost $599.99 at release. That’s $100 more than the rumored price for Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 5, and double the cost of the Nintendo Switch. This new rumor runs counter to previous rumors that had the Series X’s price pegged at somewhere around $400, presumably to out-price the PlayStation 5.

Credit: Microsoft

As Microsoft has not yet confirmed the price of the console, this rumor currently remains as such. Some have theorized that the $599 tag could only be a placeholder for retailers, though others have countered that it’s too close to the holiday season for retailers to still be using placeholder prices. Based on current knowledge of the specs of the Xbox Series X versus the PlayStation 5, the former does seem to be more powerful, which would explain the price hike.

Xbox head Phil Spencer has previous stated that he isn’t concerned about the Series X’s capacity to sell, as Microsoft’s new efforts toward cross-compatibility with PCs and mobile devices still offer numerous avenues for users to play Xbox Series X software. Microsoft’s Game Pass service has already surpassed 10 million subscribers, so this confidence may not be very far-fetched.