Microsoft confirms in US media reports that the retail prices for Xbox first-party games will increase by around $2023 from next year 10. This affects titles such as "Starfield" or "Forza Motorsport". Xbox Game Pass will be impacted price increaseng however do not have.
From the beginning of next year Microsoft raise US retail prices for Xbox first-party games from just under $60 to $70. This affects full-price games from Bethesda Softworks and the Xbox Game Studios, such as "Starfield", "Forza Motorsport" or "Redfall". "Coming in 2023, our new full-priced games built for next-gen, including Forza Motorsport, Redfall, and Starfield, will be available on all platforms for $69,99," a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. "This price reflects the content, scope and technical complexity of these titles." Aside from the price increase, Microsoft will maintain day-one availability of the games in Xbox Game Pass.
There have already been a number of indicators for the price increase that has now been announced in the past few weeks and months. "I think at some point we'll have to increase the prices of certain things, but this holiday season we thought it was important to keep the prices the same," said Xbox boss Phil Spencer in October 2022. Microsoft is thus following similar pricing strategies from other publishers and developers. PlayStation 5 owners have had to dig deeper into their pockets for next-gen games for almost two years now. In Germany, sometimes even 5 euros have to be put on the table for new PS80 titles.
Source: IGN
