Despite rising game prices, 2025's best-reviewed titles are budget hits

A hot potato: Video games are becoming more expensive – Microsoft announced last week that it would be selling some of its upcoming titles for $80, while Nintendo will be doing the same with Switch 2 releases. One of the companies' arguments for this increase is that games now have enormous budgets with massive teams, all of which supposedly benefit the players, yet the three best-reviewed games of 2025 so far are all budget titles. Microsoft blamed market pressures and rising development costs for its hardware and software price hikes last week. Its announcement followed news that every first-party Nintendo Switch 2 game will cost $70 or $80. Some people are willing to pay more for a game if a higher price translates to a better experience. But Bloomberg's Jason Schreier notes that the pricier-equals-better formula doesn't apply to 2025's best-reviewed games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a brilliant RPG that sold more than 1 million copies in its first week. The PC version has a ... Read full article.