Xbox introducing a New Tier and Getting a Price Increase for a Game Pass

GameSpot may earn revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases made through links. Microsoft has announced changes to Xbox Game Pass, including price increases for several tiers, the introduction of a new tier, and the discontinuation of another.

Starting July 10, Xbox Game Pass for Console will no longer be available for new members. Existing subscribers will retain their membership, which includes access to Day One releases, including first-party Microsoft exclusives. New members will instead be able to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Standard for $15 per month, which will not include perks like Day One releases, EA Play access, Game Pass for PC, or cloud gaming.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will remain unchanged in terms of offerings but will see a price hike from $17 to $20 per month. Similarly, Xbox Game Pass Core will increase its annual fee from $60 to $75, though the monthly rate will stay at $10. The cost of PC Game Pass will rise from $10 to $12 per month but will still include Day One releases. These changes will take effect on September 12.

Additionally, Xbox Game Pass for Console codes will still be redeemable until further notice. Starting September 18, users will only be able to stack their subscriptions up to 13 months, though existing stacks will not be affected.

Microsoft recently announced that the upcoming Call of Duty game, Black Ops 6, will be included in Game Pass on release day, but it will only be available for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This aligns with Microsoft’s promise, as Ultimate is not a new tier, but Black Ops 6 will not be accessible through Game Pass Standard.

The reason behind the price increase has not been officially stated by Microsoft, but industry analysts have offered insights. Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners suggested that the price hike is due to stalled Game Pass subscriber growth on consoles. He noted that the aim is to incentivize current console gamers to upgrade to the higher-priced Ultimate tier, which includes Day One games and cloud gaming. Ahmad also mentioned that PC and mobile gamers have not subscribed to Game Pass at the expected rate, so the PC tier will continue to feature Day One games to boost user growth.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella echoed this sentiment, suggesting that if subscriber growth is not substantial, Microsoft might raise prices for the most dedicated customers who will continue to subscribe despite the cost increase. To save money, it is recommended to buy discounted Game Pass codes and stack them before the changes take effect.