PS5 and Xbox Series X games in for a price hike

PS5 and Xbox Series X games could be in for a price jump based on the news that 2K's NBA 2K21 will be $69.99/ £64.99 on next-gen consoles, compared to its $60/ £60 price tag on  PS4 and Xbox One.

2K has just dropped the trailer for this year's instalment of the sports title, along with the prices for the various editions in yet another overly complicated chart detailing what players are getting for their money, and it doesn't bode well for next-gen console players. 

• iPhone 12: Price, launch date, specs and news about Apple's next iPhone
• PS5 accessory leak gives best hint yet at when PlayStation 5 will launch

While Microsoft's Smart Delivery programme on Xbox Series X furnishes players with a free next-gen upgrade if they shell out for a title on the current-gen console, and other game developers have made the same promise for their cross-gen titles - like CD Projekt's upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 - 2K seems to be going in another direction entirely. 

While that $10 increase will get you the title on PS5 and Xbox Series X, if players want to pick up a copy for both current and next-gen consoles, things get even more expensive, with the cross-gen Mamba Forever Edition coming in at $99.99. 2K's press release states that the special edition actually throws in the game on the additional platform for free, and that the extra $30/ $40 is simply for the extra content, saying:

"Purchasing Mamba Forever Edition on either current or next-generation platforms provides a copy of the standard edition game on the other generation at no additional cost, within the same console family.”

NBA 2K21 won't be part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere programme either, that lets you play your digital title on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC when bought for either platform.  

• Google Pixel 4a could be launching imminently – here's why
• Best wireless earbuds: the best Bluetooth earbuds and in-ear headphones to buddy up with

2K is the first company to reveal its next-gen games' price, and to be honest, a price bump isn't that unexpected. The standard $60 for games has been the norm since the PS3/ Xbox 360 era, and game development has made leaps and bounds since then, as has the industry as a whole, meaning things are about to get a whole lot more expensive.

We expected the cost to go up, but that was somewhat mitigated by Smart Delivery, and studios ensuring players would get next-gen upgrades for free. Even EA jumped on the bandwagon with Madden NFL 21 and its Dual Entitlement scheme - although it ruffled feathers by putting a time limit on the offer. 

The PS5 and Xbox Series X won't be cheap, and given the current climate, the pandemic has put an extra strain on everyone's finances. Not to mention that if you opt for the PS5 Digital Edition or Xbox Series S, you'll be on the hook for even more money, as you'll be tied into paying the digital price which rarely get the same kind of discounts as physical copies, and can't be bought second-hand. 

If this is the new standard, gamers may find it harder to keep up with buying all the latest games - especially if they go digital. We'll have to wait and see if more developers follow suit.

• Amazon Prime Video has just added a killer feature subscribers will love

Source: The Verge