Microsoft to raise subscription fee for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers

Besides planning to launch a new standard payment arrangement, Microsoft has decided to raise prices for Game Pass Ultimate members by $3

Tech Desk - Jul 10, 2024

An undated image of an Xbox gaming session. — iStock

Microsoft is raising the monthly subscription fee for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members starting in September.

Alongside this increase, the company will also launch a standard subscription model that won’t include day-one access to first-party Xbox titles.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members were informed via email about the price hike. The fee will now be $19.99, a $3 increase from the current $16.00.

PC Game Pass subscribers will also face a price increase, paying $11.99, up from the current $9.99. Microsoft has released a list of worldwide changes for those outside the US.

The price increase comes just before Microsoft plans to add Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and other major first-party Xbox titles to its Game Pass service later this year. This will largely affect Ultimate subscribers, who make up the vast majority of Game Pass users, and comes just over a year after the last Game Pass price hikes raised rates by $1–$2 per month.

In addition to this, Microsoft will offer a standard subscription plan that won’t include day-one access to first-party Xbox titles, priced at $14.99 per month.

The current Xbox Game Pass for console subscription will continue for existing subscribers, but new Game Pass subscribers won’t be able to select the console option starting July 10th until the new Game Pass Standard subscription becomes available. Microsoft has stated that Xbox Game Pass Standard “will be available in the coming months.”

The standard model will also include online multiplayer access. Current Xbox Game Pass for Console subscribers will only be able to stack for up to 13 months from September 18th, but this won’t impact existing stacks.