- From June 30th, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series controller, and the Xbox wireless headset may be sold at a higher price in India.
- An industry insider has claimed that Microsoft India is planning to increase the prices of Xbox Series S, Xbox Series controller, and the Xbox wireless headset.
- It is speculated that the price of Xbox Series S, controller, and the wireless headset will be increased due to the weakening value of INR against USD.
The current Xbox Series S console is an affordable alternative for consoles like Xbox Series X and PS5. The console’s availability has also been much better than that of Xbox Series X and PS5. That being said, the price of Xbox Series S is expected to increase soon, according to industry insider Rishi Alwani. From June 30th, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series controller, and the Xbox wireless headset may be sold at a higher price in India. However, Xbox Series X will most likely be available at the current price.
Xbox Series S Rs. 36,990 (previously Rs. 34,990 ). Controllers now Rs. 5,590 (previously Rs. 5,390).
— 0xSkeptic (@RishiAlwani) June 16, 2022
According to Alwani, Xbox Series S’ price will increase from Rs 34,990 to Rs 36,990 and the controller will be priced at Rs 5,590 instead of Rs 5,390. Along with these, the price of Xbox wireless headset may increase from Rs 8,990 to Rs 9,490. Microsoft India hasn’t given any official statement on the price increase yet. It is speculated that the price of Xbox Series S, controller, and the wireless headset will be increased due to the weakening value of INR against USD. Since the launch of Xbox Series X|S, the value of INR against USD has gone from Rs 74 to Rs 78. That being said, Microsoft India hasn’t confirmed this reason yet.
If Microsoft is increasing the price of Xbox Series S due to weakening INR against USD, then we may see the same trend with other consoles and accessories. Considering the global inflation and devaluing INR, many companies might be thinking of increasing hardware prices in India. What could make matters worse is that the Indian government is planning to impose import tariffs on “electronic transmissions” like video games, e-books, e-music, and more. It remains to be seen if this move goes forward and how the government defines ‘electronic transmissions.’ All of these issues suggest that gaming could get a bit more expensive in India in the coming months.
