It looks like Microsoft will be following in its console gaming rival’s footsteps. The Redmond, WA-based company confirmed a $10 Xbox game price increase, bringing the price of their first-party game titles to $70 next year.
For a few years now, publishers and developers have been mulling higher-priced games as development costs increase and costly online games become more popular. Sony was the first big name to bit the bullet, raising the price of PlayStation 5 games to $70 (Php4,000 as of reporting time). While Sony remained an outlier for a while, many publishers have since followed its lead, with games such as Modern Warfare 2 and Gotham Knights, also releasing at the $70 price point.
Now, it looks like Microsoft is biting the bullet as well.
Talking to IGN, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that upcoming Xbox Series X and Series S games, such as Forza Motorsport, Redfall and Starfield will cost $69.99 at launch.
“This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles,” they stated. “As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.”
An Xbox game price increase shouldn’t come as a surprise. Earlier this year, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that the increase was inevitable, but that it would not raise them ahead of the 2023 holiday season. (Read: Xbox price increases may be coming soon)
“We’ve held price on our console, we’ve held price on games, and our subscription,” he said in October. “I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things.”
Whether or not this means that Xbox Series S and Series X console prices will also increase is unclear. Prior to this, Spencer did say that the company had no plans to raise both consoles’ prices. However, the wording of his statement in October may indicate a change of plans. That said, doing so would be in line with what the company’s rivals are doing.
Sony has already raised the price of this PlayStation 5 console in select countries this year. Meanwhile, Nintendo stated that it hasn’t ruled out a price increase for the Switch in the future.
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