Gaming

Microsoft Announces First $80 Xbox Game

admin June 9, 2025

Summary

Xbox is increasing game prices to $80, starting with The Outer Worlds 2.
Game Pass users may benefit, but PS5 players will have to pay the full price.
This price hike might become the norm, with other highly anticipated games likely following suit.

With Nintendo announcing that the Switch 2 will feature $80 games for the first time, people were worried other game makers would follow suit. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.

While Microsoft has warned us of an impending Xbox price hike on Xbox gaming products in May, it’s about to become a reality, as Microsoft has announced its first-ever $80 game.

Oddly enough, it’s not Call of Duty or another mega-franchise, but a game that you wouldn’t expect to be more expensive, given that it’s a sequel to a game that had its first entry priced at the regular $70 listing.

Xbox Goes Into $80 Territory For Games Starting This Year

The first Xbox game priced at $80 is Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds 2! The action-RPG’s release date was revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase. However, that happy moment was snuffed out as the game’s Steam, PlayStation Store and Xbox Store pages went live, confirming the game will be $79.99 when it launches.

While the game will be available day one on Game Pass, which should soften the blow somewhat for Xbox and PC players, PS5 gamers who want to play it day one will have no choice but to accept the $80 price tag.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, given this generation saw games get a $10 price increase across the board. The sad part is, this is just the beginning. Expect more games to be priced higher. While Sony hasn’t announced any of its games to be priced at $80, it’s just a matter of time until they do.

The Outer Worlds 2 Has A Good Chance To Scratch That Fallout: New Vegas Itch

The Outer Worlds is quintessentially Obsidian.

With more games getting the $80 price treatment, I’d say Grand Theft Auto 6 is now almost a lock to cost $80 (or even higher) when it releases next year. That said, not all games are created equal. GTA 6 is probably the most anticipated game of all time, and even if it’s priced at $90 or even $100, chances are high that people will bite, given the franchise’s staying power is legendary. I fully expect us to still be talking about GTA 6 beyond this console generation.

Not ragging on The Outer Worlds 2, but it’s not on the same level as GTA 6, so gamers might take a wait-and-see attitude to its price before picking it up.

Are you ready for the $80-per-game future? Because it’s already here.