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Microsoft to raise Xbox first-party game prices from $60 to $70 in 2023

Microsoft to raise Xbox first-party game prices from $60 to $70 in 2023

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Microsoft joins Sony, Ubisoft, and others with Xbox Game Studios titles priced at $69.99 next month.

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An illustration of the Xbox logo.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft is increasing the prices of its upcoming first-party Xbox games next month. From 2023 onward, new full-priced games from Xbox Game Studios like Redfall, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport will be priced at $69.99 instead of the usual $59.99. It’s a price increase that matches the pricing that competitors like Sony, Ubisoft, and Take-Two all offer their own games at.

Microsoft issued the following statement about the price increases:

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’s price bump to its own upcoming Xbox Game Studios titles isn’t entirely unsurprising. The era of the $70 game quickly emerged as current-gen consoles launched two years ago, with Sony offering its own PS5 games priced between $49.99 and $69.99. Microsoft has been focused on offering its own games at launch on Xbox Game Pass, and it has also maintained the price of its subscription offerings, too.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer previously hinted that price increases could come after the holidays. “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,” admitted Spencer in an interview in October. “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.”