In the ever-evolving battleground of next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X continues to stand tall—not just as a machine built for performance, but as one of the best value propositions in gaming right now. With Microsoft’s recent price hike on its entire Xbox lineup, the clock is ticking for gamers who want to snag this green monolith at its current price. And make no mistake, this isn’t just a bargain buy—it’s a console that still packs punchful power and ecosystem advantages that make it relevant, and even desirable, more than four years into its lifecycle.
Price Increases Make Now the Best Time to Buy an Xbox Series X
As of May 1, 2025, Microsoft has raised the MSRP on its consoles, pushing the Xbox Series X with a disc drive up to $599 from $499. The digital-only Series S isn’t immune either, with its base price jumping to $380 from $274. Controllers and accessories have also seen notable price bumps. The move mirrors industry-wide shifts, with first-party games soon launching at $79.99—a price point Nintendo is also exploring with its upcoming Switch 2.
But here’s the catch: retailers are still clearing out inventory at the old prices. And in a twist that feels straight out of a heist film, consoles like the Series X are already slipping into resale channels at or above the new MSRP. If you’ve been on the fence about grabbing an Xbox, this brief window before prices fully stabilize is your shotgun wedding to next-gen gaming.
The Hardware Hero That Still Outperforms Many Next-Gen Rivals
Underneath its sleek, monolithic design, the Xbox Series X is a beast. With its custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU, capable of 12 teraflops, and a lightning-fast NVMe SSD, it delivers true 4K gaming with ray tracing, variable refresh rates, and load times that make waiting feel like a glitch in the matrix. For fans of the Marvel and DC universes, imagine it as the Xbox equivalent of the MCU—polished, powerful, and designed to shine across every blockbuster title.
Unlike the PlayStation 5, which shares many technical specs but struggles with supply and exclusives, the Series X offers flexibility. Its backward compatibility spans four generations, and with Xbox Game Pass, players have access to a rotating library that rivals any streaming service. It’s not just hardware; it’s a platform ecosystem that continues to expand.
Why the Physical Disc Drive Still Matters More Than You Think
One of the most underappreciated features of the Xbox Series X is its inclusion of the optical disc drive. In an age pushing hard toward digital, the ability to buy, trade, and collect physical games remains a lifeline for many gamers. It’s a move that echoes the collector’s instinct in comic book fandom—there’s just something irreplaceable about owning the tangible product.
Plus, physical games often come with price drops and secondhand market opportunities that digital copies don’t. If you’re planning to build a library or simply want flexibility in how you buy games, the disc-equipped Series X is still the smartest choice. And with the digital model’s price only slightly lower, the trade-off isn’t as worth it as it might seem.
Sales Numbers Tell a Story, But Don’t Define the Series X’s Legacy
VGChartz’s latest data shows that the Xbox Series X|S combo hasn’t quite matched the Xbox One’s sales in Europe—lagging by over 2 million units as of March 2025. The Series X|S has sold 8.38 million units in 53 months, while the Xbox One managed 10.51 million in the same timeframe. On the surface, that sounds like a miss.
But numbers don’t capture the full picture. The current generation faced supply chain hiccups, a global pandemic, and fierce competition from Sony’s aggressive PS5 campaigns. Moreover, Microsoft’s dual-console strategy with the Series S and Series X splits the audience. The real win for Microsoft has been its ecosystem growth—Game Pass subscriptions, cloud gaming, and continued investment in studios like Bethesda and Obsidian.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Xbox and Why Series X Still Matters
Leaks about the next Xbox generation—possibly arriving around 2028—speak of a “cloud hybrid” design, potentially moving away from traditional hardware powerhouses. If that’s true, the Xbox Series X may well be the last of its kind: a console built for raw, local performance rather than cloud dependency.
That makes the Series X not just a relevant buy today, but a potentially iconic one tomorrow. Like owning a first-edition Iron Man comic before it skyrocketed in relevance, purchasing an Xbox Series X now is about more than play—it’s about presence in a generation that may soon shift entirely to the cloud.
Final Thoughts: Grab the Xbox Series X While You Still Can at This Price
Microsoft’s price hike is a painful reminder that the gaming industry is evolving—and that value windows don’t stay open forever. But for those who act fast, the Xbox Series X offers unmatched 4K performance, physical media freedom, and a thriving ecosystem that continues to grow in the background.
It's not just a console sale—it's a strategic buy for anyone who loves gaming in its most powerful, flexible form. Whether you're battling through Halo Infinite, exploring Forza Horizon 5, or just digging into the massive backlog enabled by Game Pass, the Xbox Series X is a hero waiting in the wings. And heroes, as we know from every MCU and DCEU saga, always deserve their moment in the spotlight.