Microsoft will increase the upfront cost of its first-party games to $70 starting in 2023. This will impact upcoming games such as Starfield, Redfall, and Forza Motorsport.
According to IGN, Xbox's exclusives will cost $70 at launch but didn't elaborate on regional pricing for other countries. "This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles," says Microsoft in a statement to IGN. "As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.”
Back in October, Xbox's Phil Spencer said that certain Xbox products and services would increase in price, but not until after the holidays. It looks like that is taking effect almost right away in January.
While the price of Xbox's games will increase, console prices and Game Pass subscriptions have not yet. Back in August, Spencer mentioned that Microsoft had no intention of raising prices on consoles even though Sony did for the PlayStation 5 in countries outside of the United States. However, Spencer also noted that plans can always change as Microsoft continues to evaluate the market.
Companies like Sony, Activision, and Electronic Arts have already been selling their PS5 and Xbox Series games for $70 since the beginning of the current generation. Now, Microsoft is the latest to do so as well.