Microtransaction

Microtransaction describes a purchase made inside or in connection with a game, commonly for virtual currency, cosmetics, characters, consumables, boosts, or other digital goods. The price does not have to be literally tiny, and the abbreviation MTX is widely used. Microtransactions appear in free-to-play and full-price games alike. They can be direct and predictable or connected to randomized rewards. Their impact depends on pricing, transparency, parental controls, competitive effects, and how strongly progression encourages spending. DLC is usually sold as a distinct add-on package, although the categories can overlap.