Xbox's new-gen price hike will start with Starfield

Microsoft announced that it will be pricing Starfield, Forza Motorsport and Redfall at $70 upon launch, however these titles and all other first-party offerings in the future will be part of Xbox Game Pass instantly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Starfield. It's got over one thousand planets to explore in 100 star systems. There are 250,000 lines of dialogue. The game harkens back to Daggerfall with this reference. Apparently flying is migraine-inducing. Anyway, let's get onto the game that I want to talk about which is Redfall.

Firstly I found it very funny that The Elder Scrolls fans thought that Redfall was the codename for the next entry in that series and the subreddit had to be transformed to reflect Arkane's newest game. Secondly it's got a beefy campaign to play in co-op mode, featuring serious scares and pulpy goofs galore.

You're thinking it, I'm thinking it - let's see how different Starfield and No Man's Sky really are:

While PlayStation spiked its prices to $70, Xbox games stayed the same. Those days though will soon be behind us as Microsoft has confirmed that new first-party titles will cost $70 too in 2023. "This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles," said a spokesperson in a statement supplied to IGN. "As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch."

So, if you are an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, this won't really change that much for you. But, if you're saving up for a specific game every year, this is going to limit your options. Sony has reportedly started conversations over bumping the price of its games higher than $70, so perhaps we'll take our victories where we can.