The Xbox Series X can still provide solid value, but you should understand what you're getting six years in. This has been a pretty grim console generation for Microsoft, between hard-to-swallow Game Pass price hikes, upsetting studio closures and all those Halo Infinite 'Craig the Brute' memes. You can expect an Xbox Series X to last years if you look after it properly, but should you even buy one in the first place? Considering it's never been more expensive to pick up a Series X, the console is easily overpowered by Sony's PS5 Pro, and you can play pretty much every Xbox game of the current generation on PC, it doesn't look like a great time to buy an Xbox Series X.
The price has gone up dramatically — average Xbox Series X prices range anywhere from $725-$900 depending on storage configurations. The 1TB disc-based model generally sells for around $799, while the digital-only 'Robot White' is $750. Xbox Game Pass isn't as good a value as it once was.
When it launched in June 2017, it cost $9.99 per month and granted access to a library of over 100 Xbox One games. Microsoft raised Ultimate to $29.99 in October 2025 before cutting it back to $22.99 after fan backlash. Now Ultimate subscribers are limited to 15 monthly hours of cloud streaming.
If you play enough, you can still get your money's worth — but the price increase makes the console a much harder sell.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing