Gamers around the world might be disappointed to hear that Xbox Game Pass has gotten more expensive today. The popular service offers incredible value and a massive library of games to suit all but the pickiest gamers on Xbox and PC. Subscribers are even able to play select new titles on launch day, often for a fraction of the price they would pay to buy the game outright. Just recently six new day-one games were announced for Xbox Game Pass including Bounty Star, a mech combat game similar to Armored Core with a unique twist.
The price for Xbox Game Pass has not increased for some time, even after Microsoft acquired Bethesda and started adding games from the publisher's popular franchises such as The Elder Scrolls, Doom, and Fallout. Microsoft addressed rumors of a Game Pass price increase earlier this year after speculation began mounting in response to the company's ongoing acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Now, scarcely a few months later, it seems that the landscape has shifted.
Xbox Game Pass pricing is increasing from $9.99 to $10.99. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is going up for $14.99 to $16.99. Those who are currently subscribed will only be affected from August 13th, 2023. PC subscribers will be relieved to know that the price increase does not affect them. Similarly, those on console who have used a yearly code to subscribe to the service will not be affected until their subscription is due for renewal. For some reason there are several countries that are not facing price increases for game pass, namely Chile, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia. This comes along with a price increase for Xbox Series X in several territories. Microsoft has not increased the price for Xbox Series S.
Xbox head of communications Kari Perez clarified that this price increase has nothing to do with the Activision Blizzard deal, saying that the company has adjusted pricing to "reflect the competitive conditions in each market," which may explain why there are a few countries that remain unaffected. Xbox head Phil Spencer previously hinted that Game Pass prices may increase, saying that the company has held out for a long time and that he didn't think this would last forever. Perhaps he was trying to soften the inevitable blow of the first Xbox Game Pass price increase since the service launched in 2017.
Xbox Game Pass still offers incredible value with great new games arriving on the service all the time. The July 2023 batch, for example, includes Grand Theft Auto 5, Exoprimal, and puzzle platformer The Cave.
Source: The Verge