Microsoft won’t raise Xbox game prices to $80, at least not yet

While some publishers have already started hiking the price of AAA games, Microsoft has decided to take some more time. The company has announced to stick with a $70 ceiling for its first-party titles, at least through the 2025 holiday season.

That includes The Outer Worlds 2, which had originally been listed at $80 when pre-orders opened in June. Now, Microsoft says the game, and other big holiday releases, will stay at $69.99.

In a statement to Windows Central, Microsoft said, “We’re focused on bringing players incredible worlds to explore, and will keep our full priced holiday releases, including The Outer Worlds 2, at $69.99 – in line with current market conditions.“

It’s not clear what caused Microsoft to halt the price hike. Nintendo had already broken the $80 barrier earlier this year with Mario Kart World, hinting that others might follow. But for now, Xbox is holding the line.

Obsidian, the developer behind The Outer Worlds 2, confirmed the new pricing via a post on X and followed up with refund details on its official forums. Players who already pre-ordered the game will see the adjustment applied differently depending on platform.

On Steam, a balance correction will push funds back to players’ Steam Wallets. Xbox buyers will be charged the original $80 ten days before launch, but a $10 refund credit will follow.

On top of that, the same applies to pre-orders on the PlayStation Store. For Battle.net users, all pre-orders will be canceled, with a fresh pre-order option coming soon at the updated price.