The days of Microsoft pricing its flagship Xbox games at $59.99 are coming to an end.
Starting next year, first-party titles for the Xbox will hit store shelves at $69.99, according to IGN, which was first to report the news.
In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said: “We’ve held on price increases until after the holidays so families can enjoy the gift of gaming. Starting in 2023 our new, built for next-gen, full-priced games, including Forza Motorsport, Redfall, and Starfield, will launch at $69.99 USD on all platforms.”
This also likely means the same titles for the PC will be $70. Microsoft is increasing prices citing “the content, scale, and technical complexity” of upcoming titles. However, the company noted all the games will also be released on Xbox Game Pass, which can start at $9.99 per month.
The news will no doubt annoy gamers. But the $69.99 price has already become somewhat standard for new games across the industry. For example, other companies including Sony, Square Enix, and Take-Two have also been pricing their latest AAA games at $70.
Thankfully, Microsoft decided to keep Halo Infinite at $59.99 when it launched last year. But in October, Xbox’s game chief Phil Spencer hinted that a price hike for the company’s games was on the horizon. "I do think at some point we'll have to raise the prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was important to maintain the prices,” Spencer said at The Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference.
In the same interview, Spencer added: “We've held price on our console, we've held price on games... and our subscription. I don't think we'll be able to do that forever.” So we wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft raises the cost for the Xbox Series X and Game Pass sometime next year.