Xbox joins other major game publishers in raising the price of its top new first-party titles: swill range from 60 to 70 dollars (the change in euros is not yet known).
Starting in 2023, games made for Xbox Series X|S, including Forza Motorsport, Redfall, and Starfield, will cost $69.99 at launch. Although Xbox has noted that regional pricing may vary, it still no specific details have been given for the rest of the countries.
“This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles,” a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. “As with all games developed by our teams on Xbox, we also They will be available on Game Pass the same day they are released..”
This price increase is no surprise given that earlier this year Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, said that the company would not be able to maintain its prices forever, but that Xbox would not upload them before Christmas 2023. Xbox is not the only company that has done this. Sony, Ubisoft and Take-Two Interactive have announced prices of up to €80 for certain new games, and Sony in particular plans to raise its prices even higher.
As for whether this means an increase in the price of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, still not clear. PlayStation 5 has already seen a price hike in several countries, and Nintendo said it’s not ruling out a future price hike on Switch. When Sony announced the price hike for its console, Microsoft clarified that it had no plans to do the same with its current Xboxes, something Spencer reiterated in September.
However, Spencer’s statements were a bit different back in October. “We have maintained the price of our console, in addition to the price of the games and our subscription,” she said. “I don’t think we can do it forever. I think at some point we will have to raise some prices on certain things.”
IGN has contacted Xbox for comment on the possible price increase for its console, but the company has decided not to make any statement.
The price of major new video games has remained stable at €60 since the Xbox 360/PS3 era, before which most games cost a total of €50. Companies that have raised prices have referenced factors such as rising development costs and ongoing inflation. to justify the change.