Microsoft has announced that it will raise the price of Xbox development kits once again, citing “macroeconomic conditions” as the reason. This move could significantly affect the cost of development equipment for game creators.
Aside from the impact on consumers — as seen with the recent price increases for Xbox consoles — developers will also feel the effects of rising production costs. The Xbox devkits are set to see a substantial price increase as part of this trend.
The report comes from The Verge, which claims to have received an official statement from Microsoft explaining the reason behind this decision.
A Risky Move for Xbox Developer Support?
According to The Verge journalist Tom Warren, Xbox development kits are expected to rise in price from $1,500 to $2,000, marking a 33% increase. This mirrors the rate of price hikes seen in Xbox consoles since their 2020 launch.
“The adjustment reflects macroeconomic developments,” Microsoft told The Verge, justifying the increase and emphasizing that it remains “committed to providing high-quality tools and support for your development efforts.”
From a broader project budgeting perspective, this increase may not seem massive. However, given that Xbox is generally less popular among developers compared to PlayStation, this move might further discourage smaller studios from developing for the platform.
It’s also likely that similar adjustments will soon be made by other major companies such as Sony and Nintendo. All these manufacturers are facing the same “macroeconomic conditions” and may need to rebalance their costs accordingly.
