Xbox Console Price Hikes Cement Game Pass as the Only Way Microsoft Wants You to Play

Welcome to the era of $ 80. Xbox is the first publisher of the main games after Nintendo, which promises to increase sweeping prices in its entire wallet, except for Game Pass. It will cost keyboards, control units and other accessories more, but the real cherry at the top is the promise some Among the first company games will start from $ 80 later this year. It looks like a kind of things that will harm sales, but all it really means is that Xbox will pay the Pass game more difficult than before.

In a note published on the Xbox support site, Microsoft detailed a new pricing structure recommended for retailers. Starting on Thursday, May 1, all Xbox keyboards will see an increase in prices. The Xbox chain increases with 512 GB of storage from $ 300 to $ 380, and a 1 TB version jumps from $ 350 to $ 430. The cost of the Series X Box Xbox digital control unit is now $ 550 compared to the previous $ 450, and the form of a visual engine now costs $ 600, or $ 100 more than $ 500. The Series Xbox Series X Galaxy Black is running with 2 TB SSD now $ 730, or $ 120 more than the previous price of $ 600, and even more than $ 700 PlayStation 5 Pro.

The Xbox wireless control unit, which is still an essential element for both the console and computer games, now costs $ 65. The Xbox Elite Series 2 now begins at $ 150, an increase of $ 145. Xbox official headphones will bring you 120 dollars, $ 10 more than before. Microsoft gaming devices will also see high prices outside the United States.

Xbox games at the first end will reach the 80 -dollar price point, “This holiday season”, according to Xbox. The Microsoft Games brand is the first to raise prices since Nintendo has provided the price of $ 70, $ 80 and $ 90 for Switch 2 addresses from the first party. It is only a matter of time before the other major publishers took the hint and raised their prices as well.

The company wrote on the support page: “We understand that these changes are difficult, and they were made, taking into account the market conditions and the high cost of development.” Gizmodo communicate with Xbox to comment on whether this has to do with Trump’s definitions, but we did not hear immediately.

As Xbox wanted to direct the finger to market conditions, the game’s high prices have been a long time. The main publishers had their teeth for years on how to increase games prices with inflation. For example, Halo: The fighting developed It was sold for $ 50 in 2001, equivalent to 91 dollars in dollars today when adjusting inflation. However, the publishers were looking hard in Nintendo and Switch 2 pricing. The Japanese console maker promotes digital versions of Kong Panza donkey In $ 70 and Mario Cart World At $ 80. Switch 2 has already been sold in most of the stores that do before, which probably indicates the industry that players are ready for the bullet bite in the most expensive games.

Pass Pass Xbox remains the only service that does not rise in the price. Last year, Microsoft changed the subscription service in games, increased the cost of most levels, and Nixed reached Day-One games with low-price layer. With more expensive games on the horizon, Game Pass may look like a better deal than before, but Microsoft can always change its policies in the future.

If it is not really clear, the Microsoft Game Pass game will be bread and butter. Xbox is no longer interested in using devices to push exclusive addresses. This month, it brought exclusive games like Forza Horizon 5 To PlayStation 5. Xbox Phil Spencer recently said he would put Game Pass on Nintendo and Sony platforms if the opportunity has.

Based on the Microsoft Q3 profit report this week, Xbox sales have already decreased from the rest of their wallets. Meanwhile, revenue from Xbox “Services”, Game Pass, increased by 8 % on an annual basis. You see Microsoft now Xbox as a service model, and devices will inevitably decrease on the side of the road. Instead of making a hand vehicle itself, Microsoft will participate with hardware experts like ASUS on the portable Xbox. The high prices on all devices and games, even those in other publishers and console makers, will inevitably push more people to Game Pass. In this way, the entire game industry is fed by Microsoft.