In the PS2, GameCube, and original Xbox era, new video games were typically priced at $49.99 at launch. In the transition to the PS3 and Xbox 360, the price went up to $59.99, which it has stayed at throughout the entirety of the current-generation. However, pricing information for the next-generation version ofNBA 2K21suggests that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games will be more expensive.
2K Sports is selling thenext-gen version ofNBA 2K21at $69.99, a $10 increase. The next-gen version of the game will be offering better graphics, “two second load speeds,” new gameplay features, and more fleshed-out game modes. Specifics on the next-gen specific gameplay features and modes are unavailable at the time of this writing, but 2K Sports believes that it warrants a $10 price increase.
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NBA 2K21is the only next-gen game price announced to date, but it’s unlikely that2K Sportsis going to be the only publisher to do this. The higher price point may be phased in as the transition from current-gen to next-gen continues, but this is a good indication that a general price increase will be coming. Of course, it’s possible that this is just an experiment by 2K Sports and it could be that other game publishers have no intention of raising their prices.
That being said, there is something to take into account that makes these matters a little more complicated, and that is theXbox Smart Delivery program. For the uninitiated, many Xbox Series X games are letting players purchase the Xbox One version and then upgrade to the Xbox Series X version for free. Since Xbox Series X is backward compatible with Xbox One games anyway, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to make consumers purchase a brand new version of a game they already own. It’s a consumer-friendly move that has proven to be quite popular so far.
But if the next-gen version of a game costs $10 more, it would just make more sense for gamers to buy the current-gen version for $59.99 and then upgrade to the next-gen version for free. Because of this, it seems unlikely that all next-generation games are going to be priced at $70. In future when the PS4 and Xbox One are phased out and games are only being released forPS5and Xbox Series X, maybe more titles will be priced at $69.99.
This is mostly just speculation at this time, however, as there’s a lot about next-gen gaming price that is still a mystery. We don’t even knowhow much the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles will cost, so it’s possible that decisions on next-gen game prices are still being made.
