Microsoft confirms Windows 8 price hike imminent

Microsoft has detailed full Windows 8 upgrade pricing for the first time, while reminding those considering the move that its discount scheme will expire at the end of January, after which the price is set to rise steeply.

The software giant announced on its Windows blog that from February, pricing for US customers will jump from the current $40 offer price to $200 for Windows 8 Pro, making an upgrade five times as costly, while an upgrade to the standard Windows 8 edition will cost $120.

Microsoft introduced its upgrade policy last year, enabling users with older versions of Windows to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just £25 in the UK. The offer excludes PCs running the Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Alternatively, users can purchase a DVD of the Windows 8 upgrade for £50 via the Microsoft Store.

Meanwhile, those who purchased Windows 7 PCs between 2 June 2012 and 31 January this year will be eligible to download Windows 8 Pro for £15 via the Windows Upgrade Offer.

The firm has yet to detail post-offer upgrade pricing for UK customers. A Microsoft spokesperson told V3 that this information was not yet available.

However, it is likely to be in line with the price hike for the US version, which ought to make the price about £125 to download a Windows 8 Pro upgrade.

A further upgrade to let users of the standard Windows 8 trade up to Windows 8 Pro currently costs £50, which is likely to translate to about £62 once the promotion period ends.

This update includes Windows Media Center, which is no longer included as standard with any version of Windows 8.

Currently, users of Windows 8 Pro can download and install the Windows 8 Media Center Pack for free, but this will cost US customers $10 from February, which should translate to about £6 for those in the UK.