Microsoft has announced some upsetting news to Xbox players – price increases are coming for Xbox Game Pass, as well as the creation of a new subscription tier for the service. This announcement is only the latest price increase in what seems to be increasingly expensive subscription services in the entertainment industry.
And it’s not just subscription services that have seen price hikes. Game purchases and iGaming have also become more expensive over the years. The industry is increasing prices to cover the costs of creating new, innovative games.
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Xbox Game Pass, which allows users to play their favorite games online and offers discounts, game downloads, and deals, will be seeing price increases across the different subscription tiers for new subscribers, as well as more price hikes in September for current subscribers.
Key Takeaways
- New Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Core, and Game Pass for PC will experience price changes.
- Game Pass for Console is being phased out and won’t be available for new subscribers.
- Existing Game Pass for Console subscribers with automatic payment renewal set up will still be able to access their subscription.
- Xbox Game Pass Standard will come to replace Game Pass for Console, however, no date has been announced.
- September 12 will see price changes for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass for PC, and Game Pass Core (12-month subscriptions).
Phasing Out of Xbox Game Pass for Console
The biggest change to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service that was announced by Microsoft is that Game Pass for Console will no longer be available for new users. Instead, it will eventually be replaced by Game Pass Standard, which is seemingly the same tier as Game Pass for Console with two exceptions:
- Online multiplayer is included.
- Day one game releases are unavailable to this tier.
Microsoft is yet to announce how long subscribers of the new Game Pass Standard will have to wait to play day-one release titles.
Players currently subscribed to Game Pass for Console and who have automatic payment renewal activated will remain subscribed to the service. But, once payment renewal is turned off or the subscription lapses, then players will no longer be able to access this service.
Frustrating for many, Xbox Game Pass Standard will also not be immediately available, leaving users to subscribe to a different tier, like Game Pass Ultimate.
Microsoft has not yet announced when Xbox Game Pass Standard will be rolled out, only saying it will be available “in the coming months”.
Price Hikes for Xbox Game Pass in September
Another major change to the Xbox Game Pass subscription is price hikes across the other tiers. Analysts suspected this would happen before the release of COD: Black Ops 6.
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Core, and Game Pass for PC will all see increased prices from September 12, 2024.
The prices below were provided by Microsoft:
Game Pass Ultimate
- Current price: $16.99
- New price: $19.99
- Key features: Full fame library on PC and console; online play
Game Pass Core (12 months)
- Current price: $59.99
- New price: $74.99
- Key features: Good selection of console games; online play
Note: The prices for the 1-, 3-, and 6-month subscriptions are also increasing in Argentina, Turkey, India, and South Africa – but not in the US.
Game Pass for PC
- Current price: $9.99
- New price: $11.99
- Key features: Full game library on PC
Game Pass for Console (for existing subscribers)
- Price: $10.99
- Key features: Full game library on console
Game Pass Standard (for new subscribers)
- Price: ~$11.99
- Key features: Full game library on console excluding day-one releases; online play
Understandably, current subscribers are upset with these changes, taking to X and other social media platforms to express their criticism.
The biggest upset is that day-one game releases have been removed from the new Game Pass Standard in the lead-up to the release of the long-awaited COD: Black Ops 6 in October. This title will be available as a day-one release for Game Pass for PC and Game Pass for Console users, as well as those happy to pay for the price increase for Game Pass Ultimate.
Game Pass Core and the soon-to-be-released Game Pass Standard users will not be able to enjoy this access, and it is unclear when these subscribers will be able to play day-one release titles. Many predict this is an effort of Microsoft to force subscribers to upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate.
Why is Xbox Increasing Game Pass Prices?
Although subscribers are upset by the announcement of the price increase for Xbox Game Pass, it is not too surprising. In an effort to release innovative and engaging games with real-world graphics, the cost of creating and releasing games has increased significantly over the years.
The number of subscribers has also plateaued at a much smaller number than Xbox and Microsoft once anticipated. The same is true for PlayStation subscribers. In general, the spending in the US on gaming subscription services has dropped in 2024 compared to 2023, and Xbox felt these losses.
Xbox initially pushed its subscription services hard, more so than its competitors, and now they’re feeling the pinch and need to increase their prices to continue to release games and meet business goals.
Looking to the Future
Players who wish to access the full game library on their Xbox will, for the time being, have to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the most expensive tier. This will probably remain the case into the future, as the coming Xbox Game Pass Standard will exclude day-one releases from the gaming library.
In Conclusion
The news of price hikes has been frustrating for Xbox players. But, since games are becoming increasingly expensive to produce, it was seemingly inevitable. For now, no further price increases are expected for Game Pass subscribers, however, with inflation, lower subscriber numbers, and an ongoing demand for bigger and better games, future increases are a real possibility.
