Xbox Game Pass Continues Push to Be Everywhere While Also Pushing Prices Up

Xbox Game Pass Price Hikes and New Tier Announced: Expanding Reach, Increasing Costs

Microsoft has announced price increases for its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, alongside a new subscription tier omitting "Day One" game releases. This article details the changes and explores Xbox's broader Game Pass strategy.

Related Video:

Microsoft is RAISING Xbox Game Pass' Pricing

Price Increases Effective July 10th (New Subscribers) and September 12th (Existing Subscribers):

• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: $19.99/month (from $16.99), including PC Game Pass, Day One games, back catalog, online play, and cloud gaming.
• PC Game Pass: $11.99/month (from $9.99), retaining Day One releases, member discounts, and EA Play.
• Game Pass Core: $74.99/year (from $59.99), or $9.99/month.
• Game Pass for Console: Discontinued for new subscribers starting July 10, 2024. Existing subscribers can maintain access unless their subscription lapses. After September 18, 2024, the maximum stackable time for Game Pass for Console codes will be 13 months.

Introducing Xbox Game Pass Standard:

A new $14.99/month tier, offering a game catalog and online play, but excluding Day One games and cloud gaming, is launching soon. More details on release dates and availability are forthcoming.

Xbox's Expanding Strategy:

Microsoft emphasizes providing player choice through diverse pricing and plans. Previous comments from Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and CFO Tim Stuart highlight the importance of Game Pass, first-party games, and advertising as high-margin businesses driving Microsoft's growth.

Beyond the Console:

Xbox Game Pass on Amazon Fire TV Stick

A recent ad campaign showcases Game Pass's availability on Amazon Fire TV Sticks, emphasizing that an Xbox console isn't required to play. Future plans include adding more major titles to the service.

Despite expansion into digital platforms, Microsoft has confirmed its ongoing commitment to hardware and physical game releases. While acknowledging challenges with manufacturing costs of consoles with disc drives, Xbox's strategy does not depend on abandoning physical media.