[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Microsoft has raised Xbox console prices in the European Union and Britain by a bigger margin than in the United States.

According to IT outlet Engadget on Aug. 2 local time, updated Xbox Store price tags show EU consumers must pay 150 to 200 euros more for the Xbox Series S and X than before, while UK consumers must pay 130 to 170 pounds more.

The adjustment was confirmed shortly after U.S. price increases took effect on Aug. 1. Microsoft previously said in June it would raise Xbox console prices in the U.S. by 100 to 150 dollars depending on the model. The size of the increase in the EU and Britain was larger than that.

As the gap in increases by region widens, the perceived price burden in the European market has also risen further. At current exchange rates, the entry-level Xbox console price paid by European consumers has reached close to about $575 in dollar terms. It is a simple conversion, but it shows that even within the same product line, the actual burden of purchase has increased depending on the region.

The price increase may not end here. Microsoft previously said in a June blog post it expected storage and memory prices to double again. This price adjustment is also seen as part of a trend that is not unrelated to the burden of those component costs.

Pressure on memory supply is not only Microsoft's problem. Sony and Nintendo have also recently moved to raise prices in succession. With the broader console industry affected by a RAM crunch, changes in hardware cost structures appear to be a bigger factor than the individual policies of any particular company.

In this situation, the price adjustment could also affect regional sales strategies. Microsoft signalled increases of 100 to 150 dollars in the U.S., but applied higher increases of 150 to 200 euros in the EU and 130 to 170 pounds in Britain. For consumers, the added burden for the same Xbox Series S and X has varied widely depending on where they live.

A key question will be whether there are additional adjustments. If memory and storage prices continue to rise as Microsoft has mentioned, the current price list may not be final. With Sony and Nintendo also joining the round of increases, attention is focusing on the possibility that price resets across the console market could continue for the time being.