It looks like Xbox gaming is about to get a little more expensive in the near future. Starting next year, first-party Xbox games from Xbox Game Studios will release at $69.99 USD—a $10 increase from the $59.99 standard retail price we’ve seen for the last few console generations.
In a statement to IGN, a spokesperson who went unidentified 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 price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles. As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.
Microsoft isn’t the first company to reach the $70-a-game threshold, either. Other big game publishers to do so include Take-two Interactive, Square Enix and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Everything from global inflation to rising development costs to the energy crisis in Europe has been conjectured as possible justification for the price increases.
The news isn’t exactly unexpected, as Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer hinted just a few months back, saying:
I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was really important that we maintain the prices that we have.
Microsoft’s statement specifically mentions Forza Motorsport, Redfall and Starfield as among the first games to launch at the new $70 price point. The silver lining here: Game Pass. All three of the above will be day one Xbox Game Pass releases. Which makes Microsoft’s gaming service all the more attractive in light of this news, for the age of the $70 video game has arrived.
