Microsoft is encouraging US owners of unused Xbox Series X and Series S consoles to trade them in through Best Buy, offering up to $375 and $200 respectively in store credit. The campaign follows successive price increases driven by rising memory and storage costs and is intended to make second-hand consoles available to other customers. The unusual approach emerged after Xbox owners began sharing promotional emails from Microsoft. The messages ask whether recipients have stopped using their consoles or switched to playing Xbox games on a PC or another device. Those who have are encouraged to trade in their hardware rather than leave it unused. Xbox console trade-ins follow price increases The campaign follows a June announcement by Microsoft that Xbox prices would increase worldwide from 1 August 2026. The company raised prices by $100 for 512 GB models and $150 for 1 TB models, following increases of $20 to $70 in the United States in October 2025. Microsoft attributed the latest increases to a shortage of memory and storage components, saying their costs had risen by more than 2.5 times. It also warned that these costs could double again by autumn 2027. The company noted that gaming consoles are generally sold at or below manufacturing cost, leaving manufacturers particularly exposed to component price increases. The wider supply problem has been driven partly by demand from AI infrastructure operators. As previously reported by eeNews Europe , manufacturers have increasingly prioritised high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM, putting pressure on conventional memory and NAND flash supplies. Microsoft expands Xbox console trade-ins When announcing the price increases, Microsoft also outlined plans to work with retailers to collect used consoles and offer them for resale at lower prices. The current Best Buy campaign appears to be an implementation of that strategy. According to reports of the promotional emails , owners can receive up to $375 for an Xbox Series X in excellent condition, including its controller and other required accessories. Consoles in poor condition may be valued at approximately $150, while an Xbox Series S can qualify for up to $200. Payment is made through Best Buy gift cards rather than cash. The retailer’s trade-in programme assesses devices according to condition, functionality and market value, with final valuations subject to inspection. For Microsoft, returning dormant consoles to circulation could increase the number of active Xbox users without requiring equivalent production of new hardware. Refurbished consoles would also offer a lower-cost alternative to new devices, although the extent to which the programme can improve hardware availability remains uncertain. The post Microsoft promotes Xbox console trade-ins as costs rise appeared first on eeNews Europe .