Much remains unclear about the launch of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, especially when it comes to budgeting. Ubisoft, for its part, has decided to be proactive in this regard, at least compared to other publishers. Ubisoft confirmed today that its next-gen console releases for fall 2020 will all be launching at a price point of $60.
Ubisoft confirmed its starting next-gen price point during an official financial earnings call question and answer session Wednesday morning, as confirmed by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. Specifically, Ubisoft said that next-gen games releasing this fall will be the same price as current-gen games, which is $59.99.
The question was prompted due to the recent confirmation that 2K Games will be charging not $60, but $70 for the next-gen version of NBA 2K21. 2K says of its price increase that it is “meant to represent the value being offered.” So far, however, NBA 2K21 is the only game announced at a $69.99 price point. Pre-orders for next-gen versions of games are quite rare at the moment, though, so it may just be a matter of time.
Ubisoft also notably was unwilling to commit to the $60 price point beyond fall 2020. When asked directly about the possibility of raising the price of next-gen games released in 2021, Ubisoft responded that, “We are concentrating on the Christmas releases.”
There’s some worry that Ubisoft, as well as other publishers, are only tied to the $60 price tag due to Sony and Microsoft’s efforts to transition current-generation gamers to the next-generation. Xbox has what’s called Smart Delivery, which will allow those who purchase current-gen games to play on next-generation hardware, too. Sony has a similar effort but didn’t give it branding. Ubisoft is supporting this with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, and Far Cry 6, making it hard to justify raising the price for those games’ next-gen releases. When Ubisoft stops supporting the current generation of consoles, however, it may raise prices.
It’s also entirely possible that Ubisoft and other publishers plan to stay at the $60 price tag regardless. The NBA 2K21 price raise could be an aberration or an experiment. If NBA 2K21 still sells well and fans don’t start a controversy over it, however, other publishers may be more included to follow suit – Ubisoft included. This story is certain to continue being interesting through the summer and as next-gen consoles launch.
