Gamers in Turkey will have to dig deeper into their pockets for Xbox Series X. The price of the Xbox is $499 elsewhere. But in Turkey, customers will have to pay a whopping $1200 to get the new next-gen console.
Reddit user azyrr shared their dissatisfaction online. And some even said that it might a result of the political unrest between the US and the European country. According to the Reddit post, the gaming console has a 50% markup stamped on top of the import tax. Here is what the cost breakdown looks like on the post:
- 50% import tax
- 18% VAT
- 20% luxury tax
These are NOT cumulative btw; you calculate them from the base price and then add it on. So it isn’t like 50% x 18% x 20%.
Turkey has an ongoing issue with its currency rate right now. And the country also introduced some new taxes. Microsoft is adding a hefty profit margin on top of all these costs. And sadly, this is a huge weight on expecting customers in Turkey.
There were a lot of leaks and speculation before the unveiling of the console. And fans of the gaming console were happy with the new Xbox Series X cost. Many have already pre-ordered it too.
In fact, pre-orders of the Xbox Series X have sold out in Australia and many other countries. And to add to the worries, the console is already in limited supply. And with an added $700 on top of the original $500 price tag, it will be harder for Turkish consumers to get the console. Microsoft’s Xbox All Access service lets customers pay $35 a month until the device is fully paid off. But, as the installment payment policy is not available in Turkey, customers have to pay the full $1200 at once.
There is still no word about PS5 prices in the country. But the chances are, it will possibly be high as well.
