[Gematsu] Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S price increased announced for Japan

[Coco]

Microsoft has announced a 5,000 yen price increase for the manufacturer suggested retail price of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles in Japan, which will go into effect beginning February 17.

Xbox Series X will increase from a suggested retail price of 54,978 yen to 59,978 yen, and Xbox Series S will increase from 32,278 yen to 37,978 yen.

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

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S price increased announced for Japan - Gematsu

Microsoft has announced a 5,000 yen price increase for the manufacturer suggested retail price of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles in Japan, which will go into effect beginning February 17.

www.gematsu.com

 

[ZSaberLink]

RIP Xbox even further in Japan…

 

[allan-bh]

Being a niche product, I think 5,000 yen will not have a major effect for people in Japan that want a Xbox, in case of Series X will have no effect at all.

 

[Mekanos]

This seems ill-advised but not like they have much to lose over there.

 

[Himura Kenshin]

A bold move to be sure.

 

[Roger Rabbit]

Well, the Series S is the only one of the four that anybody can actually walk into a store, pick up and buy (in my city, certainly). All the others are out of stock or only available to certain customers. It's also the only one Amazon Japan is selling without having to win the lotteries. So if they still can't shift these against a permanently out of stock nearest competitor, raising its price seems an odd move.

But the Series X is rarer than rocking horse dump. If I didn't have one, I'd have been delighted now to grab one for RRP + 5,000 yen. The only one I've ever seen in Japan is the one I have. I assume there are still people who'd like a Series X but can't find one, so I suppose this raise is more understandable.

 

[kazuyamishima]

Following the announcement, Series S jumped to #2 at Amazon Japan.

Will be interesting to see how much the sales increase before the price rise and how much they do decrease after.

I think they will follow the same in other regions excluding UK and US.

And the meltdown will be way softer compared when Jimbo announced price rises last year.

 

[DCSales]

So much for Microsoft’s magnimony about not raising prices...

I expect them to walk back this stance elsewhere too… especially after the disappointing financial results this last quarter…

 

[1st_horseman]

Following the announcement, Series S jumped to #2 at Amazon Japan.

Hourly chart?

So much for Microsoft’s magnimony about not raising prices...

Yeah. Remembering this one after PS5 price increase

We're always evaluating our business going forward so I don't think we can ever say on anything that we'll never do something," Spencer said. "But when we look at our consoles today, we think value's incredibly important.

Wonder if MS will go country by country every few months or globally in one swoop?

 

[kazuyamishima]

Hourly chart?

I guess, it’s the best selling item in the video games category.

Interesting to see if sales increased this week. If they do, is possible that is due to people trying to get it at the current price before the rise and if end being true, means that stock of Series S was never an issue in Japan and sales could go back to normal levels or even lower after the price increase

 

[Lelouch0612]

So much for Microsoft’s magnimony about not raising prices...

I expect them to walk back this stance elsewhere too… especially after the disappointing financial results this last quarter…

Their wording last year clearly implied they would raise prices after the Holiday season.

Expecting the same to happen in Europe.

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Says Price Hikes Are Coming, But Not Until After The Holidays

"I do think at some point we'll have to raise the prices on certain things..."

www.gamespot.com

 

[Tokuiten]

Depending on next year's Japanese games presence on XBox, this might be first sign of Phil Spencer giving up on trying to convince Japanese 3rd-parties to put their games on Xbox. And I'd say that'd be fine. When the AB-deal goes through, MS will really have a dev might of its own to call itself THE Western developing force. Focus on that and take whatever Japanese games come your way, but don't beg for it.

With FF16 being PS5-exclusive anyway and Capcom putting everything on not-Nintendo multiplatform already, there's little they're missing out by not catering to the Japanese market.

Ofc, maybe it's really just a financial short-term necessity to raise the price in which case none of the above actually happens.

 

[1st_horseman]

Their wording last year clearly implied they would raise prices after the Holiday season.

Expecting the same to happen in Europe.

It is well known that MSFT before this announcement tried to took an opportunity to gain momentum because PS5 price increase, although, IIRC just a month before PS5 price increase, Totoki mentioned possible price increase back then. But looks like no one took him seriously :

Sony refuses to be drawn on whether it could raise the price of PS5 | VGC

UPDATE: Sony has increased the PS5 price in Europe, Japan and parts of North America…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[allan-bh]

Their wording last year clearly implied they would raise prices after the Holiday season.

Expecting the same to happen in Europe.

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Says Price Hikes Are Coming, But Not Until After The Holidays

"I do think at some point we'll have to raise the prices on certain things..."

www.gamespot.com

I don't think Xbox is in position for price increase now that PS5 shortages are ending.

They can ship Series X bundles at higher prices, but a direct price increase would be terrible for the brand.

 

[Lelouch0612]

I don't think Xbox is in position for price increase now that PS5 shortages are ending.

They can ship Series X bundles at higher prices, but a direct price increase would be terrible for the brand.

I don't think it will be significant, consummers expect price parity between the PS5 and the Series X. The only time the two platforms had different pricing coincided with almost no Series X available.

In other words, most Series X owners bought the platform when it was the same price as the PS5.

 

[J-Cat]

I think there may have been a big OLED shipment because many Switch games have shot back up the Amazon JP best sellers chart.

№1 is Switch OLED

Fire Emblem Engage back up to №6

One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 is back up to №13

Persona 5 Royal back up to №41

Dragon Quest Treasures is back up to №48

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII is back up to №72.

Edit: oops I posted this in the wrong place.

 

[allan-bh]

I don't think it will be significant, consummers expect price parity between the PS5 and the Series X. The only time the two platforms had different pricing coincided with almost no Series X available.

In other words, most Series X owners bought the platform when it was the same price as the PS5.

For Series X for a while perhaps, but would be tragic for Series S.

I understand they doing in Japan where Xbox is extreme niche, but in Europe would be pretty bad.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Uhh, sure, why not. People who are willing to buy an Xbox in Japan are probably hardcore enough to pay more for it