Walmart Discounts Xbox Series X Consoles Ahead of Massive August Price Hike

Xbox Console Price Rises - August 2026:

• Xbox Series S 512GB: $399.99 ---> $499.99
• Xbox Series S 1TB: $449.99 ---> $599.99
• Xbox Series X 1TB Digital: $599.99 ---> $749.99
• Xbox Series X 1TB: $649.99 ---> $799.99

Why Are Consoles So Expensive Right Now?

According to Microsoft, the biggest culprit for the alteration is the ongoing components crisis. It says console retention and representation prices person accrued by "more than 2.5x" already, with costs expected to "double again by the autumn of 2027".

Sony has besides cited "continued pressures successful the planetary economical landscape" erstwhile it raised PS5 prices earlier this year, portion Nintendo has already confirmed the Switch 2 is getting a $50 summation successful September.

Even Valve precocious bemoaned however its upcoming Steam Machine is launching astatine an eye-watering $1,049 aft it couldn't deed its archetypal people terms due to the fact that of constituent proviso issues.

To marque matters worse, according to The Game Business, 1 large games retailer has already warned that determination whitethorn not beryllium capable consoles to fulfill request during the vacation season, peculiarly with GTA 6 arriving. Here's the quote:

"We’ve been informed that due to the fact that of the on-going issues astir hardware constituent availability, we won’t beryllium getting the units we privation up of GTA. Demand volition apt outstrip proviso during the twelvemonth extremity period."

We've already seen however terms changes haved rattled a batch of imaginable buyers into buying consoles present alternatively than later, and with Xbox prices astir to leap again and concerns opening to look astir hardware availability, things don't look similar they'll get immoderate better, immoderate clip soon.

Judging by however things are going, it wouldn't beryllium astonishing to spot respective much terms hikes wrong the adjacent 12-18 months for PlayStation and Nintendo, and crossed the remainder of the manufacture arsenic well.

Are you readying to prime up a caller console for GTA 6? If so, are you leaning toward Xbox oregon PS5, oregon are you hoping retailers person capable banal erstwhile the crippled yet arrives?

Either way, we'll permission immoderate different notable deals connected consoles conscionable beneath arsenic well.

The Best Console Deals Today

For now, utilizing the Walmart/Target discount, the Xbox Series X for $573 is the cheapest mode to prime up a new existent gen console that tin play GTA 6. That's discounting refurbished, of course, which is really the champion mode to prime up a console close now, astatine slightest successful my opinion.

Speaking of refurbished consoles, different tenable connection for imaginable buyers tin beryllium recovered astatine Best Buy. This promo volition beryllium particularly absorbing for those wanting to prime up a GTA 6 preorder astatine the aforesaid time.

Best Buy precocious announced that it's giving distant escaped "$50 reward certificates" for anyone bundling a Grand Theft Auto 6 preorder with an eligible PlayStation 5 oregon Xbox console.

The woody is disposable to some caller and existing My Best Buy members (free to join), and applies to a wide scope of consoles, including the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5 Pro, PS5 Slim Digital Edition, PS5 Slim Disc Edition, and, arsenic I mentioned, prime refurbished PlayStation 5 models.

This is apt the astir affordable enactment for astir radical close now; opting for a refurb PS5 astatine $499.99, getting a $50 acquisition paper for Best Buy, and picking up GTA 6 to play successful November. Best Buy besides has a 12-month no-interest concern enactment ($41.67/mo for the PS5), for those funny successful spreading the outgo retired adjacent more.

Otherwise, the adjacent champion console deals volition beryllium connected different refurbished lines, specified arsenic PlayStation's exclusive scope of $499.99 digital, oregon $549.99 disc variation PS5 (slim-model) consoles from PS Direct.

If you're not disquieted astir playing GTA 6 and conscionable privation a decent console to play games connected that won't outgo you an limb and a leg, the Switch 2 presently has a $499 "Free Game Bundle" that is good worthy picking up earlier the promo expires successful September.

Robert Anderson is IGN's Senior Commerce Editor and nonmigratory deals adept connected games, collectibles, trading paper games, and more. You tin travel him @robertliam21 connected Bluesky.