Microsoft Confirms Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Increase, More Changes Coming [CNET]

Sign up fast if you’re hoping to avoid some of the price hikes.

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service is joining other subscription services including Spotify and Netflix and shaking up its offerings. Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed a long-expected price increase to Xbox Game Pass, plus additional changes to the basic Xbox console tier.

A representative for Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company has posted a webpage detailing the changes. In short, sign up fast if you want to avoid some of the price increases with the best Game Pass deals, as they take effect on Wednesday.  (Here’s a link to purchase a Game Pass membership at Amazon for $14.99, and here’s one for Best Buy for $16.99. Note that you can select which tier of membership you want, and for what time period.)

Price changes will go into effect for new members joining Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Core, and PC Game Pass. Also, Game Pass for Console will no longer be available for new members, essentially because that tier is getting a new name — Game Pass Standard — and different benefits.

Price hikes and more

Prices will change worldwide for Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and 12-month subscriptions to Game Pass Core. New member price hikes will go up July 10, and existing members will see their prices rise Sept. 12.

A full list of the price increases by country has been posted online. US subscribers to Game Pass Ultimate will pay $20, up from $17, and US subscribers to Game Pass Core will pay $75 for a 12-month subscription, up from $60, with the per-month cost remaining at $10 for those not buying the annual deal. The price for PC Game Pass will go up from $10 per month to $12. 

The company is also adding a new Game Pass option, Xbox Game Pass Standard, which will cost about $15 per month, and will be available in the coming months. The plan seems to be a renamed and rejiggered version of Game Pass for Console, and as such, will include hundreds of console games. Now, however, it will add in the benefits of the Game Pass Core plan, including online console multiplayer and select member deals and discounts. But it won’t include games released on day one.

Xbox Game Pass charges a monthly fee, but gives players access to hundreds of games, as well as a number of Day 1 launch games from Microsoft’s own studios. Before the changes, CNET editors had dubbed Xbox Game Pass Ultimate “the best content deal in gaming,” noting that the subscription service includes access to online multiplayer services, encompasses console and PC game downloads, has a deal with gaming giant EA and a cloud-based service that streams games to nearly any device.