Microsoft has made some gigantic changes to Xbox Game Pass, shaking up what’s offered in the “Standard” tier and generally raising prices for subscribers. Most notably, day-one access to Xbox first-party games will no longer be included with the upcoming Xbox Game Pass Standard for novel console subscribers.
In the future, prices and general offer will be as follows:
- Xbox Game Pass Basic – $9.99 per month or $74.99/£55.99 for 12 months (previously $59.99/£49.99) – Includes Xbox online multiplayer and a restricted game library.
- Xbox Game Pass Standard Subscription – $14.99 per month – Includes Xbox online multiplayer, full back catalogue games library, but does not include: NO includes games released on day one.
- PC Game Pass – $11.99/£9.99 per month (was $9.99) – Includes day one games plus the full library of back catalogue titles on PC.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – $19.99/£14.99 per month (previously $16.99/£12.99) – includes PC Game Pass, Xbox online multiplayer, day one games, full back catalogue, EA Play, cloud gaming.
See full list of price changes hereXbox Game Pass Standard is “coming soon,” likely in September.
Anyone with electricity Xbox Game Pass for Console the subscription will be able to continue as a recurring payment for the foreseeable future, and you will still have access to the current offering – the $10.99/£8.99 price will also continue. This includes day one games and the entire Xbox Game Pass catalog, but Xbox Game Pass for Console does not include Xbox online multiplayer, cloud gaming, or PC Game Pass.
Another change is the ability to combine subscriptions. Starting September 12, you’ll only be able to combine Xbox Game Pass for Console for 13 months using prepaid cards and conversions. Anyone who has the current maximum of 36 months will be able to transfer it, and other plans will still have a maximum of 36 months.
Overall, it’s a clever way for Microsoft to squeeze in a price hike and break its long-standing promise that all Game Pass subscribers would have access to the games on day one, while also making the most of the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 expansion as a day one launch game – there was previously speculation that a novel, more steep price tier would be added specifically for Black Ops 6 , but Microsoft is keeping the overall structure the same through this price hike and re-release.
This seems to contradict Microsoft’s promises that Xbox Game Pass would not boost in price as a direct result of the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Microsoft will be able to argue that it is simply following market trends and value, even though all of the effective price increases are greater than inflation since each product launched.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will still be an all-in-one package, but it will now have a higher price tag once again, while the annual price boost for annual Xbox Game Pass Core (formerly Xbox Live Gold) subscriptions is a nasty sting in the tail. What’s more engaging, though, is how Xbox Game Pass Standard has morphed from Xbox Game Pass for Console.
Game Pass for Console didn’t previously include online gaming, so the main addition to Game Pass Ultimate was to get that, as well as PC gaming and cloud options. Game Pass Standard reverses that, so online gaming is now included, but instead you don’t get day one games.
Of course, all of this will put even more pressure on gamers’ wallets at a time when there are so many subscriptions competing for customers, all of which are constantly growing as the market is already saturated.
Source: Xbox Support
