After quietly confirming plans to increase the price of Xbox Game Pass in September, Microsoft has started to email customers and warn them of its plans. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, then you should definitely check your email, as Microsoft reveals exactly how much you’ll be paying for your current plan when the prices change on September 12. For Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, the prices will increase from £12.99 a month to £14.99 a month. Xbox Game Pass Core will increase from £49.99 to £55.99 annually. Sadly, the regular Xbox Game Pass subscription for consoles will be replaced by Xbox Game Pass Standard, although prices are yet to be revealed. While Xbox Game Pass Standard will include access to online multiplayer, subscribers won’t be able to play new first-party releases on the day of launch.
Microsoft explains more in a recent email to customers: “Thank you for being an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member. We are planning to update our prices to address changing market conditions.
“This price change allows us to continue to bring you more value and great games for the very best gaming experience.
“Starting 12 September 2024, you will be charged £14.99 plus applicable taxes every recurrence period unless you cancel up to two games prior to your next scheduled payment date.
“You can manage your subscription, how you pay, or cancel your subscription by visiting your Microsoft account.”
Indeed, if you’re unhappy with the price increase and would like to cancel your subscription, then you’ll need to visit your Microsoft account and either cancel now, or turn off automatic renewal.
This means you Game Pass subscription won’t be renewed unless you manually sign up for a new period.
If you are thinking of signing up to Xbox Game Pass, then you might want to purchase your membership now in order to avoid some of the price increases.
If you want to save even more money (and don’t care about online multiplayer), then it might also be worth hunting down a Game Pass Console code.
Despite the price increase, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate definitely feels like the best value for money, especially with those day-one first-party games.
This means you’ll be able to play this year’s Call of Duty game at launch as part of your subscription.
You’ll also have access to new Xbox games like Gears of War E-Day and the next big Bethesda release.