Phil Spencer confirms Xbox prices will stay the same as "users are in the worst economic times"

Phil Spencer has been a major force for Xbox's rise within the current generation of consoles, further increasing the rivalry with PlayStation. On that note, Xbox has decided to follow a different strategy regarding price hikes of its products.

Speaking with CNBC, Phil Spencer took some interesting questions and responded to them. One was about the potential for a price hike, which is a major question that the console community wants answered. PlayStation recently announced an increase in the price of its current-gen consoles in several markets. Obviously, this sparked speculation about whether Microsoft's gaming division would follow a similar pattern.

Many potential buyers will be relieved to learn that there will be no price hikes for Xbox consoles. Phil explained the rationale behind this decision after officially confirming that Xbox console costs would remain unchanged. He further discussed the brand's plans and ambitions for the future.

---

Xbox won't be repeating PlayStation's decision as Phil Spencer doesn't want to take advantage of consumers

The question about the possibility for a price list arrived much later, essentially in the final part of the interview. However, Phil Spencer made it clear that there won't be a hike in the prices of Xbox consoles. The main reason seems to be the vulnerable economy, and Phil feels that a price rise will create problems for many.

"We have no intention of increasing the price of our consoles today. It is the right move when users are in the worst economic times."

Phil Spencer also emphasized the need to invest more for growth to continue. He cited the examples of Sony and Tencent and how the two have invested continuously in new areas. He added that the work required of him continues as they have unique partnerships with Kojima Productions, for example.

Interestingly, there was also a question about whether Xbox could buy Discord. However, Phil refuted the takeover claim and claimed that the partnership with Discord was a good founding base for the platform.

There were also questions about how Phil Spencer and the company are looking to expand into regions like Japan, which is generally known to be PlayStation's stronghold. In response, Phil mentioned the increased emphasis on games created in Asia.

According to him, the most important part of Xbox is its reliance on value creation and ensuring that consumers don't feel ripped off.

"If we progress slowly, we're constantly evaluating our business. Therefore, we can't say that something won't happen. However, like our consoles today, perception of value is extremely important. The Xbox Series S is very inequitable in this regard."

This interview is fantastic news for those yet to get a current-gen console. There has been a supply-shortage issue recently, which has been managed to some extent, thanks to the dual-SKU approach. It will be interesting to see how the consoles continue to develop along with the Game Pass as a new year beckons.