The announcement did not specify exactly which titles would carry the new price,. — Photo by Guillaume Coupy on Unsplash
Microsoft’s Xbox division on Thursday raised its recommended retail prices on consoles and controllers globally, while also confirming that some of its upcoming games will launch at a new high of US$79.99 (RM337), the company announced on its Xbox support page.
The price hikes affect the Xbox Series S (both 512GB and 1TB models), Xbox Series X (including digital and the new 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition) as well as every major Xbox controller variant such as the Xbox Wireless Controller, Elite Series 2 models and special and limited editions. In the U.S. and Canada, the Xbox Stereo Headset and Wireless Headset have been hiked in price, the company said.
But the most eye-catching change may be the new cost of first-party Xbox games, which jumped from the previous US$69.99 (RM295) price point, which reflects what the company calls the “rising cost of development.”
The announcement did not specify exactly which titles would carry the new price,
In a statement, Xbox acknowledged the move could be “challenging” for consumers but insisted it was made with “careful consideration given market conditions.”
To soften the blow, the company highlighted one major benefit: Games purchased through the Xbox Store will continue to support “Xbox Play Anywhere,” allowing gamers to buy once and play on both console and PC at no extra cost.
The news comes on the heels of Sony’s price increase for the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, though it left the standard disc model unchanged. Sony also lowered the price of the separate PS5 disc drive in those same regions.
With both major gaming giants adjusting prices amid inflation and increased manufacturing costs due to tariffs, consumers can expect to pay more for next-gen gaming. – cleveland.com/ Tribune News Service
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