I don’t have many skills, but I could always convert Microsoft Points into U.S. dollars without thinking. A game costs 800 Microsoft Points? Well, that’s $10 in Earth currency. Unfortunately for me, that skill is heading toward obsolescence.
Microsoft is finally ending its Points payment system for the Xbox Live Marketplace, according to The Verge. The company is replacing it with a real-money currency option. It will sell gift cards with dollar values at retail, but it will also accept direct payments with credit and debit cards through its online store.
This new system will work the same across the Windows Stores, the Windows Phone Store, and the Xbox Live Marketplace. Expect to hear more about around the time of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show in early June.
The new system may launch with the next Xbox, which Microsoft will reveal next week. We’ve reached out to ask if it will also replace Microsoft Points on the current console. We will update with any new information.