Microsoft is raising the prices of first-party Xbox Series X/S to $69.99 in 2023, following many of the major third-party publishers.
The change, which comes into effect in time for major launches like Redfall, Starfield and Forza Motorsport, has only been confirmed for the United States at present.
However, it appears highlight like that the price increase will carry across to other territories including the UK, where Xbox Studios games are currently priced at £59.99.
We have contacted the Xbox public relations team seeking clarification on UK game prices moving forward. Microsoft has issued a statement to IGN, explaining the reasons for the change and pointing out that Xbox Game Pass is one way around paying full price.
“This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.”
The increase is inline with what Sony charges PS5 owners for the big first-party releases like God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West. However, there’s no way for PlayStation gamers to play those games on day one without paying up front.
Xbox fans have also avoided a hardware price increase thus far, whereas Sony put the price of the PS5 up as soon as the console became widely available – much to the chagrin of gamers who’d missed out initially.
Microsoft has hinted that a hardware increase isn’t out of the question, but has no plans to charge more for the consoles in the short term.
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