Microsoft has announced that all their first-party titles will receive a price increase starting in 2023. They will follow suit with PlayStation and Ubisoft, and all upcoming games like Redfall, The Outer Worlds 2, Starfield, and future Forza titles will be $70 on release.
However, this will only be for versions built for the Series X|S. Xbox One games will remain at the same price. This news all comes via IGN, where a quote was given explaining the price hike and why it is happening:
This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles,” a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. “As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.
Adding first-party games to Game Pass on day one is the one difference that Xbox has over the competition. It’s why a large number of Xbox gamers will probably take this news with a shrug. The fact that a game becomes $10 more expensive doesn’t matter as much when you can still play it for just $10 a month.
Game Pass is poised for a big December, as well. We’re only a little over a week away from the release of Squanch Games’ High on Life, which will likely turn out to be a huge hit. Hello Neighbor 2 will be coming to the service tomorrow, Dec. 6.
If anything, this will hopefully encourage PlayStation to implement a similar system for day one releases and the fact that they haven’t yet cemented Game Pass as the better subscription service.
