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Switch to local currency from Microsoft points increases price of content

 

With the iteration of the next generation Xbox, the Xbox One and the upcoming dashboard release, Microsoft will be switching from Microsoft Points for purchases to real currency. Whilst this means you will know how much the next Call of Duty map pack is really going to cost you, it already appears to have its downsides.

microsoft-points-to-local-currency

Those who signed up to beta test Microsoft’s latest dashboard for the Xbox 360 have found that their Microsoft points aren’t worth as much as they used to be. For example, the recently released Walking Dead 400 Days is available to buy for 400 points on the current dashboard and via the Xbox website. However on the beta dashboard, content that costs 400 MSP will cost £4.49. Unfortunately those 400 points you may have had on your account however, are now only worth around £3.33.

It’s been reported that the conversion rates are as follows:

1600 MSP content costs £14.99 but, 1600 MSP points convert to £13.33
1200 MSP content costs £11.99 but, 1200 MSP points convert to £10.00
800 MSP content costs £8.99 but, 800 MSP points convert to £6.66
400 MSP content costs £4.49 but, 400 MSP points convert to £3.33
For those who have a lot of points on their account this is bad news. However, it is worth noting that this conversion is in the beta phase of the new dashboard so hopefully Microsoft will iron out these in-discrepancies before it’s released to the general public later this year.

For those who have signed up for the beta dashboard testing and have been approved, there are reports that it is still possible to purchase content with Microsoft points directly from the Xbox website, rather than through the console where the local currency conversion is used.