Xbox’s Rising Prices Could Float All Boats

A recent announcement from Microsoft has revealed that the price of all first-party Xbox hardware and software will be increasing. The price of Xbox consoles and accessories rose on May 1, 2025, with the specific amount differing between regions, and certain games will cost $80 towards the end of 2025.

Microsoft has cited that increasing costs of development and market conditions are the driving forces for this change. However, considering the recent controversy surrounding the high cost of Switch 2 games, this move may set a worrying precedent that the rest of the industry will follow, and one that players may not be able to easily keep up with.

Sony Might Follow Microsoft and Nintendo’s Lead

With its two main competitors matching each other’s game prices, it is likely that Sony will feel incentivized to follow with its first-party PlayStation games. While the community has mostly been disappointed with the increased cost of Xbox and Switch 2 games, the reluctant willingness of some fans to adhere to the changes is likely to have caujmnkghjuht Sony’s attention. In April, Sony already raised the price of PlayStation Plus in some regions for reasons similar to those stated by Microsoft, so players are likely to hear of a price hike for its first-party titles soon.

This emerging trend is one that many players have already been treating as an inevitability. While price matching and competition are both factors, Sony has already been increasing its prices incrementally. As well as raising its subscription prices, the cost of PS5 consoles increased across multiple regions in April 2025. Though Microsoft revealed its pricing changes in bulk, it seems Sony has instead been making alterations to its prices gradually, so a price hike for PlayStation games may be a matter of when, not if.

How the Price Hike Could Discourage Players

As well as aiming to meet rising industry costs and expectations, there are other reasons given for these increasing prices. Nintendo defends its decision, claiming that Mario Kart World provides experiences that justify the price. Using price as a marker of content quality, Microsoft – and possibly Sony – may feel an obligation to increase the price and prove that its own games provide as much value as Nintendo’s products.

To many players, they do not feel as though price is reflective of a game’s quality. Particularly for indie games, this lower price point is more inviting to players, especially in the wake of increasing prices. In spite of its indie status, Balatro was nominated for Game of the Year, competing against AAA games with higher budgets. Increasing the cost does not always mean that players believe they are paying for a premium experience, and could encourage them instead to search for more affordable indie games that have just as much quality.

Sony Could Subvert Expectations

There is a chance, then, that Sony will differentiate itself from the rest of the industry and stand by its lower price point. This could be a bold move, winning players over by continuing to sell products at a price that is more accessible to the average consumer. There may be some evidence to support this: the former PlayStation head Shawn Layden commented on Nintendo’s prices, claiming that the cost of Switch 2 games is justifiable because of the exclusivity of Nintendo’s IPs to the console. Now that many first-party PlayStation games are available on PC, this lack of exclusivity may mean that Sony increasing its prices is not as reasonable. If the publisher’s views still align with Layden’s perspective, the cost of PlayStation games might not move at all.

High Prices Could Incentivize Subscriptions

The price hike of games across the industry may have an influence on consumer behavior, which could be an intentional strategic move by these publishers. Players who are dissuaded by the increasing costs of first-party software may instead be encouraged by the lower prices of the subscription services each offers. Microsoft proudly boasts that many of its games are available on day one to Game Pass subscribers at no extra cost to their standard subscription. It is possible that the price hikes may incentivize more players to subscribe instead.

Each of these companies is making concerted efforts to promote its subscription services with added benefits. Nintendo fans have been eagerly waiting for GameCube games to be added to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass, and now, these will be included exclusively for the Switch 2. However, there is one new benefit to the service that may be intended to soften the impact of the high prices – Switch 2 Edition upgrades for two Zelda games. These upgrades were initially a point of contention for some fans, but adding them as a Switch Online perk for users with the Expansion Pack may convince players to subscribe rather than pay for each upgrade. This could be something Microsoft and Sony could learn from, adding more perks to convince more people to subscribe.

Pushing for more players to move away from physical releases towards subscriptions may be worrying to some. Nintendo and Microsoft increasing game prices to $80 has made these titles less accessible to more people, and by improving Nintendo Switch Online and Game Pass, it is possible that, if prices continue to increase, subscribing may be the only affordable option for many. This is concerning to some, especially after Sony attempted to remove paid digital content from consumers in 2023. Though it was able to rectify the concerns of the community in this specific instance, many players became aware that their digital libraries may not be owned by them. If Sony increases its game prices, it may influence players to subscribe instead, renting games at a lower price rather than waiting for their purchases to eventually be taken from them.

With the announcement that Xbox games will match the Switch 2 by the end of 2025, it is likely to push Sony to make a statement of its own. Given the increasing price of PlayStation hardware and PlayStation Plus, some may expect that its first-party games will match its competitors. Nonetheless, there is still a chance to surprise players by remaining affordable and setting itself apart from Nintendo and Microsoft.