Get ready to pay more for some Xbox games. Microsoft announced Thursday that it plans to raise the price of some new first-party games from $70 to $80 this holiday season, matching the cost of some new Nintendo Switch 2 games.
Microsoft said the price of games released between now and then won't increase, so Doom: The Dark Ages won't see a price hike when it's released later this month, for example.
The company also said it's adjusting the recommended retail pricing for Xbox consoles, controllers and headsets. "We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development," Microsoft wrote.
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Microsoft's recommended retail pricing (PDF) for consoles and controllers is staggering. The company is suggesting an $80 price hike for the Xbox Series S (512GB), the most affordable Xbox console Microsoft sells. That takes the price of the 5-year-old console from $300 to $380. The Xbox Series X (1TB) is getting a $100 increase, raising it from $500 to $600. And the Xbox Series X (2TB) Galaxy Black Special Edition now costs $730, which makes the eye-watering $700 price tag of a PlayStation 5 Pro seem reasonable.
Read more: Who's to Blame for the Rising Cost of Nintendo Switch 2 Games?
The base Xbox wireless controller will have a new recommended price of $65 (up from $60), and the high-end Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 will have a recommended price of $200 (up from $145). Stereo and wireless headsets will have recommended prices of $65 (up from $60) and $120 (up from $110), respectively.
Game Pass Ultimate is one of the best values in gaming today.
Microsoft/CNETThese prices aren't just affecting gamers in the US. Microsoft is raising Xbox console and accessory hardware prices across the UK, EU, Australia (PDFs) and the rest of the world. However, the cost of headsets is only increasing in the US and Canada. You could see these console and hardware price hikes immediately, but Microsoft isn't increasing the price of Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — the most expensive tier of the gaming service — costs $20 a month but provides you with access to hundreds of games, including new, Day 1 releases. With the price of some major games rising to $80, that means you would have to buy four months of Game Pass Ultimate to match the price of one new game. That makes Game Pass much more appealing, but there is the potential for Microsoft to raise the price of the service in the future.
Microsoft raised Game Pass prices in 2024 alongside the introduction of Game Pass Standard. But since the company raised the price of the service in 2024, and the year prior in 2023, it's possible Microsoft will increase the cost of the service later this year.
Again, game prices aren't going up until later this year, so you still have time to buy games at or below $70 apiece, but you could see the updated console, controller and headset pricing now. For more on Xbox, you can check out CNET's reviews of the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X, as well as what to know about Xbox Game Pass.
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