A recent announcement from Microsoft has revealed that the price of all first-partyXboxhardware and software will be increasing. The price ofXboxconsoles and accessories rose on July 25, 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 thehigh 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 alreadyraised the price of PlayStation Plusin 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, thecost of PS5 consoles increasedacross 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 thatMario Kart Worldprovides 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,Balatrowas 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: theformer 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
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 theincreasing price of PlayStation hardwareand 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.
Xbox Series X
Microsoft’s ninth-generation console, the Xbox Series X is a powerful machine that can support 4K resolution and 60 fps, depending on the game. Released alongside the Xbox Series S, the Series X has a Custom AMD Zen 2 CPU, a Custom RDNA 2 GPU, and 16 GB of RAM.
