Microsoft will raise the price for titles made for next-gen consoles starting next year. In 2023, you can expect first-party Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X games to rise from $59.99 to $69.99 in the US – this includes highly anticipated upcoming titles such as Star field and Forza Motorsport.
This mirrors the prices currently in the UK, with the ones to come Forza Motorsport title available for pre-order for £69.99. Australia is also seeing a price hike for first-party titles next year, with the upcoming sci-fi role-playing game Star field is expected to cost AU$99.95.
satisfying IGN reports (opens in new tab) that a Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed that these titles will still be released on Xbox Game Pass on launch day, meaning that this price increase is specific to purchasing these titles.
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer foreshadowed this price increase earlier this year, stating so Xbox game prices would not increase before the 2023 holiday season (opens in new tab), but that the company couldn’t keep the current price of games forever either. According to the Microsoft spokesperson, the price increase reflects the “content, scale and technical complexity of these titles”. However, we suspect that the current inflation has also influenced Microsoft’s decision.
It’s not known if Xbox hardware prices will rise in line with this – it’s worth noting that Sony recently raised the price for both PS5 consoles and games. Other companies like Ubisoft and EA have also raised prices to $70/£70, making it a more expensive time than ever to get into next-generation gaming.
So what’s the best way to beat these high game prizes? We seriously recommend checking out Xbox Game Pass Ultimate if it’s somehow escaped you, because it’s a really good deal – especially considering these new titles hit stores on the same day as they are in the store. For the $70 / £70 / AU$100 asking price of one game you could get about six months of Game Pass Ultimate instead, making it a much better deal than downloading the titles or buying physical copies; provided you have enough hard drive space.
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