Microsoft Raising Prices on New, First-Party Games Built for Xbox Series X|S to $70 in 2023
Xbox is preparing to join other major game publishers in raising prices for major new first-party titles from $60 to $70.
After 2023, games made for Xbox Series X|S such as Forza Motorsport, Redfall and Starfield will be priced at US$69.99 at launch. Xbox notes that prices may vary by region, but has yet to reveal details for other countries.
“This price reflects the content, scale and technical complexity of these titles,” a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. “Like all games developed by our team on Xbox, they will be available on Game Pass upon launch.”
Given that Xbox head Phil Spencer said earlier this year that while the company can’t hold prices indefinitely, Xbox won’t raise prices ahead of the 2023 holiday season. The rise isn’t surprising. Xbox isn’t the first to do this. Sony, Ubisoft, and Take-Two Interactive have announced a $70 price point for certain new games, and Sony specifically reports that they’ve discussed raising that price even further.
As for whether this means the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will also be more expensive, it’s hard to say. When Sony announced a price hike for its console, Microsoft made it clear that it had no plans to do the same with the current Xbox, Spencer reiterated in September.
However, Spencer’s wording in October was a little different. “We kept console prices, game prices, and subscriptions,” he said. “I don’t think we can do that forever. At some point, I think we’re going to have to raise some prices on certain things.”
IGN reached out to Xbox for comment on a potential console price hike, but the company declined to comment.
List prices for major new video games have been steady at $60 since the days of the Xbox 360/PS3, and before that most games were $50. Now that companies are raising prices, factors such as rising development costs and ongoing inflation are cited as the main reasons behind the price increase.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. you can find her on her twitter @duck valentine.
