Xbox raises Game Pass Ultimate prices to $30/month
They have angered a lot of diehard Xbox fans.
In a surprising move this week, Xbox announced that they are not only once again changing the names of the tiers of Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, but they are also raising prices. They have announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, their premium subscription, is going from $19/month to $30/month. This started earlier this week, angering users and disappointing fans.
They have also renamed Xbox Game Pass Core (previously Xbox Live Gold) to Xbox Game Pass Essential, and given it 50 free games, up from the 25 previously. This, along with the middle tier, PC Game Pass being raised from $11.99/month to $16.49/month without adding new features, is a confusing move for Xbox Game Pass.
The fact that they are still monetizing online gameplay in 2025 is annoying, but expected. It feels like there is no way out of it since there are no big console makers that don't monetize online multiplayer.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was, and still continues to be, a great subscription (especially without looking at the price). You can play essentially any major game on the Xbox Store for free, as long as you keep your subscription. It also includes all of the other features from the lower tiers, like online gameplay and some other specific free games.
Either way, it is sad to see that Microsoft is justifying this move by adding benefits to cover the price hikes up and claiming that they are only trying to listen to their fans. The new features were almost certainly to please their fans, but at the expense (literally) of a price hike.
The Xbox Game Pass price hikes are sad, but they are still good game subscriptions, allowing for online gameplay and some free games. We will have to wait and see what Microsoft does soon.
