The Xbox Series X is being retailed in Turkey for a whopping $1200 which is over twice its price in the United States. A few months ago, Microsoft revealed that the next-gen console will cost $500 in the United States following a leak that unexpectedly spilled the price of the Xbox Series X’s smaller counterpart, the Xbox Series S.
While the price is far from cheap, $500 isn’t that much of investment especially when it comes to a brand new console and Microsoft is working round the clock to ensure that the new device is worth its price tag.
Despite the obvious lack of exclusive games, no thanks to the Halo infinite delay, the power of the Xbox Series X’s hardware is not worth condemning for. The next-gen console’s capabilities have already been proven via test consoles which can run massive games such as Doom Eternal in just a few seconds.
The Xbox series X is officially announced in Turkey. It’s an eye watering $1200 (tax included). The worst part is even taking tax into account with the US base price ($500) it should be $940. Microsoft just decided to add $240 on top of that (%50 markup) because apparently why not. from XboxSeriesX
The recent acquisition of Bethesda and ZeniMax Media also guarantees that Microsoft’s next-gen console library will be filled with high-quality exclusive games not long after its release. However, while the company has done a great job in making the Xbox Series X worth of its $500 value, this isn’t the price every fan will have to pay.
A Reddit user by the name Azyrr revealed in a post that in Turkey, the cost of Microsoft’s new console is set at a ridiculous price of $1200. While the price was aggravated by taxes, Azyrr took the time to break down the cost, pointing out that after all taxes were applied, the Xbox Series X should only cost $940. The additional $260 could only be explained by the Reddit user as an unjustified and deliberate markup.
There’s still no confirmation from Microsoft that they marked up the price just because they felt like it, but the fact remains that gamers in Turkey shouldn’t spend this much for an already overpriced next-gen console.
Localization will always be a complicated issue especially in the video game industry which can lead to shocking decisions in the game’s content. For example, it was revealed recently that localizers desired to give breasts on Pikachu. However, localization should not implement ridiculous price hikes just like in the case of the Xbox Series X.
It is plain unfair to oblige fans to pay such horrendously increased prices just because of the location of where they live. No amount of tax regulations can justify this inhuman cause. Turkey’s currency is valued far lower than the US dollar which seems to be another explanation for this unforgivable price increase.
The global economy is such a complex thing and it’s not simple to reach total stability in prices across countries all over the world. However, it’s just difficult to believe that there is any justified excuse for the Xbox Series X high pricing in Turkey.
Hopefully, Microsoft will change their minds and lower the prices soon.
