Microsoft’s price hike on Xbox games will apply to PC, Steam

By George Yang Published December 5, 2022

Microsoft confirmed to Digital Trends that the impending price increase on its first-party games will apply to its PC releases as well. The change will happen in 2023 and affect upcoming titles like Starfield, Redfall, and Forza Motorsport.

This morning, IGN reported that Microsoft will be raising the prices of Xbox Series X|S games from $60 to $70. Digital Trends asked Microsoft if this would also apply to the PC versions of its games. A Microsoft spokesperson said, “Yes, starting in 2023, our new, full-priced games will be $69.99 across console and PC storefronts. This price reflects the content, scale, and complexity of these titles, regardless of platform. These games will also be available on day one with Game Pass.”

Recommended Videos

Microsoft will be the latest company to join others such as Sony, Activision, and Electronic Arts, which have already been charging $70 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of their games. Xbox chief Phil Spencer told IGN that Microsoft wouldn’t start raising prices on Xbox’s products and services until after the holiday period was over, but it will be in full effect by the time Xbox’s big 2023 releases roll around.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

This price hike everywhere makes Xbox Game Pass look like an even more enticing offer, as subscribers only have to pay up to $15 per month for access to a wide variety of titles rather than an upfront cost of $70 for a single first-party Xbox game. Thankfully, Game Pass has not seen a price increase yet, and neither have the Xbox Series X and S consoles. Sony increased the price of the PS5 in markets outside of the U.S. earlier this year.

Topics

George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…

Gaming

3 new Xbox Game Pass games you should play this weekend

Aliens: Dark Descent key art.

It's Black Friday weekend, so there's a good chance that you just picked up an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S and are planning to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Standard. If so, you'll need to decide what you should play first. While first-party games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are good choices, some other new Xbox Game Pass titles are also worth your time this weekend.
Aliens: Dark Descent

If you've been on an Aliens kick this year thanks to Alien: Romulus and the announcement that Alien Isolation is finally getting a sequel, then you'll want to check out Aliens: Dark Descent. This is a real-time strategy game where players control a small squad of Colonial Marines dispatched to Planet Lethe to take care of a Xenomorph threat. It's a tense, exhilarating title that finds a middle ground between the bombastic shootouts of Aliens: Fireteam Elite and the quiet horror of Alien: Isolation. Aliens: Dark Descent flew under the radar when it launched last year, so I'm happy it has another chance at notoriety by getting added to Game Pass.

Gaming

Microsoft is testing a Steam-like in-game overlay

A screenshot of Edge Game Assist with Capture, Audio, and Performance windows open on-screen.

Have you ever paused your game, tabbed over to a browser, and Googled something you were stuck on? You aren't alone. 88% of PC players have done that, Microsoft says. While this works for a lot of people, it can cause games to glitch out (like Skyrim, which somehow always loses my crosshairs).

Microsoft's solution is Edge Game Assist, a fully-featured in-game browser that's similar to Steam's overlay but with a twist. It's essentially a gaming-optimized version of Microsoft Edge that appears on top of your game in Game Bar. Here's the cool part: It knows what you're playing and will toss tips your way (although that feature only works for a few games at the moment). And even cooler, you'll be able to access your browsing data from the normal version of Edge, so you won't need to log back in to any sites. That also means you can access your browsing data from your phone and your PC.

Gaming

Game spending is up — and you can thank Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

A soldier shooting a beamshamsher in Black Ops 6.

Most of us knew that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would be one of the biggest games of the year, but it's so big that it's doing a lot to boost games sales across the U.S.

This information comes from Circana (formerly NPD Group), which publishes a monthly report on U.S. video game spending. According to analyst Mat Piscatella, spending on hardware, software, and accessories was up 10% in October compared to the same time last year, and the spike was "primarily" driven by the release of Black Ops 6. Non-mobile video game subscription service spending was also up by 16%.

nproxy.org