The long-rumored Game Pass price hike is finally here, and it’s much worse than expected. Every tier will be affected, with one being entirely replaced by a more expensive and arguably worse offer. Game Pass Ultimate, the all-access tier that provides online multiplayer on Xbox consoles as well as Game Pass on console, PC, and cloud, is increasing in price from $17 to $20. PC Game Pass is also getting an increase, from $10 to $12, and Xbox Game Pass Core, the rebranded Xbox Live Gold, will from $60 to $75 annually, but remain at $10 a month.
Price increases that offer no extra value are frustrating, but to be expected in the subscription era. Streamers like Netflix, Amazon, and Max have worn us down with annual price hikes to the point where it’s difficult to find the energy to even get mad about them anymore. You might even convince me that $20/month for the best gaming subscription around is still a good value, but the change Microsoft is making to the standard console tier goes so far beyond a simple price increase. The new Game Pass Standard tier will force console-only players to pay more for less, or keep their current subscription forever out of fear of losing it.
Having access to launch titles is the biggest selling point for Game Pass. That’s not just my opinion, it’s Xbox’s. You can see that onXbox Game Pass for Console’s store page. “Play new games the same day they launch” is the first thing you see, right at the top. Now Microsoft is getting rid of that feature for console players in an attempt to push them into the more expensive Game Pass Ultimate tier. The fact that both Ultimate and this new Standard tier are more expensive than previous offers just adds insult to injury.
Game Pass Core, the most confusingly-named tier, includes online multiplayer butnotthe Game Pass library, just 25 games.
What’s most disappointing about these changes are what they say about Game Pass. Watching it follow the same path as every other stagnant subscription service all but proves that the Game Pass dream is dead. It’s no longer growing its user base, so Microsoft will start increasing the price and decreasing the value to achieve something that looks like profitability on a financial report. It will continue to get worse and worse, just like Netflix and Amazon, as it slowly squeezes its remaining customers, always asking for more and offering less.
