First-Party Xbox One Games Will Retail At £49.99 In The UK

Having spotted a pricemarked next-gen line-up on the Microsoft Store, The Official Xbox Magazine has reported that first-party titles for the Xbox One will retail at £49.99 – much like the console’s predecessor, the Xbox 360, when it was released back in 2005. This exclusive line-up includes Kinect Sports Rivals, Ryse: Son Of Rome, Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5.

On the same webpage, Microsoft also advertise the Xbox One’s peripheries, including the console’s controller, wireless headset and a play & charge kit – however, none of these accessories were priced at the time of writing. Though the initial price point of £49.99 per game may seem rather alarming for consumers – particularly after parting with £429 for the console itself – it’s worth keeping in mind that high street and online retailers will both likely undercut the company in the weeks after launch.

During the E3 aftermath, both Sony and Microsoft stated that first-party games on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One will be on par with current-gen prices. Furthermore, with future next-gen software being priced at $59.99 in the States – a price difference that EU tax and higher transport costs are responsible for – gamers in the UK will continue to pay out that little bit extra in order to purchase their software.

While many gamers are apprehensive that retailers will inflate prices closer to the launch window, EA’s Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore expects there to be parity between current and next-gen pricing. Mind you, he also believes that a higher price point will be met through supplementary add-ons – that have been duly labelled as ‘stealth rises.’

“You see a $60 price for a next-gen game whereas we believe [with digital downloads] we can get $70, $80, $90 from the consumer, but it’s a $60 price point.”

Of course, that is just the business perspective from one developer in particular, and given the confirmation from both Sony and Microsoft, gamers can readily expect that the eagerly anticipated next-gen software will be marked with a more familiar, current-gen price tag.

Though we expect the Playstation 4 sometime before Christmas, Microsoft have confirmed that the Xbox One will launch this November – four months and counting!