Microsoft Reportedly Hikes Xbox Dev Kit Prices by 33%

Microsoft has reportedly increased the price of its Xbox Development Kit (XDK) from $1,500 to $2,000. That’s a steep 33% rise for studios and developers joining the Xbox ecosystem. The price adjustment applies globally and is already rolling out to partners purchasing new kits.

According to The Verge, which first reported the news, Microsoft told developers that the updated pricing reflects “macroeconomic developments” but assured its commitment to supporting creators with powerful tools and resources.

The company says the change won’t impact the quality or availability of dev kits. For the uninitiated, these kits are essential hardwares used by studios to design, test, and optimize Xbox games before release.

Notably, it is yet another price hike in Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem. Earlier this year, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate became 50% more expensive, and the company raised Xbox Series X|S console prices twice in the U.S.

It is worth noting that Xbox dev kits remain a premium product, offering more memory, compute power, and diagnostic features than retail consoles.

However, with costs climbing across the board, Microsoft’s latest price adjustment hints that building for Xbox is becoming increasingly pricey. Not to mention, it will make life harder for smaller or indie developers, who already face growing costs across multiple platforms.