Microsoft Game Pass is getting a lot more expensive

Subscribers will get less content for more money, and Xbox users will not be able to escape the price increase.

A Microsoft Xbox Game Pass has been differentiating itself for years by giving subscribers access to a large library of older games as well as new titles on launch day. This important “day one” benefit is now gone for Game Pass console subscribers except for the highest tiers, while Microsoft charges more for Game Pass for all tiers.

Let’s start by raising the price of existing Game Pass levels, which is relatively simple:

Along with this, the company is rolling out the “Xbox Game Pass for Console” level, starting today Microsoft will no longer accept new subscriptions to it, but current subscribers can (for now) keep it if they automatically renew their subscriptions. Instead, Microsoft will introduce a new “Xbox Game Pass Standard” tier “in the coming months” that will combine regular access to “hundreds of high-quality console games” and “online console multiplayer” features that were previously available with a separate Xbox Game Pass Core subscription required. (“Core” will still be available separately and includes access to a smaller library of “25+ games”).

But while the current Xbox Game Pass Console option promises access to Xbox Game Studios games “on release,” these day-one releases are conspicuously absent from the benefits of the replacement Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription. “Some games available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one will not be immediately available with Xbox Game Pass Standard and may be added to the library at a later date” – says Microsoft in the FAQ explaining the changes.

Players who want guaranteed access to all of these editions will now need to switch to Game Pass Ultimate for HUF 5,490. This is an 81 percent increase compared to the previous level that ensured this. But the truth is that this extra subscription money comes with additional benefits. Upgrading from Game Pass Console/Standard to Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, downloadable PC games and the EA Play library, as well as additional “freebies every month”. But of course, access to Microsoft’s new titles is what really sets the Ultimate tier apart now, and is likely to require a costly upgrade for many Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

Although Xbox Game Pass launched in 2017, instant access to all of Microsoft’s new games didn’t begin until early 2018. they promised to subscribers. Since then, loyal Game Pass subscribers have been able to play dozens of new titles at launch, from big franchises like Halo, Forza and Gears of War to indie favorites like Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves and Ori and the Will of the Wisps and many more games. Access to hundreds of older games was also great, but the promise of new content was a big part of Xbox Game Pass growing to 34 million subscribers by February. And Sony has refused to meet that demand for its similar PlayStation Plus service, which only includes a handful of older PlayStation Studios titles.

In 2022, Jim Ryan, CEO of PlayStation he said, that adding new games to their subscription service would make it impossible to finance development. “The level of investment we would have to make in our studio would not be possible, and we believe the impact on the quality of the games we make would not be what players want.” Microsoft probably came to a similar conclusion. Including new features in cheaper, console-focused Game Pass subscriptions probably seemed like a good idea when Microsoft was just trying to attract subscribers to the service. But Game Pass subscriber growth is starting to slow as the market for potential customers has become saturated. Microsoft now needs to extract more value from those subscribers to justify Game Pass cannibalizing direct sales of its own games.

And let’s not forget Activision, which Microsoft recently acquired for $69 billion after lengthy legal and regulatory battles. Recouping that cost while giving Game Pass subscribers access to huge titles like Call of Duty on release day likely forced Microsoft to maximize Game Pass’ monetization opportunities. “If 7 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers planned to buy ‘Call of Duty’ for $70, but now have no reason to (because it’s part of their subscription), that’s almost half a billion dollars in lost revenue,” said Rhys Elliott , an analyst at MIDia, illustrating the significant numbers.

For gamers who enjoy a wide selection of games and would probably buy all or most of Microsoft’s new titles when they come out anyway, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is probably still a good deal at the increased price. However, players who subscribed to a relatively cheap console Game Pass option years ago might want to reevaluate whether maintaining access at launch is now worth HUF 65,880 a year.