Microsoft hikes the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by $3 to $19.99/month for new subscribers and plans a Standard tier for $14.99/month without day-one titles

Microsoft is planning to hike its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing again in September, alongside launching a new “standard” …

The Verge 2024-07-10 Tom Warren

Context & Ripple Effects

Game Pass Ultimate began as a bundled PC-and-console offering at $15 per month in 2019; this move raises the price while separating day-one releases into the higher-priced option. The original Ultimate bundle is therefore being recast around access to the newest games rather than a single all-inclusive subscription.

The new Standard tier gives Microsoft a lower-priced path for subscribers willing to wait for major releases, making release timing a more explicit part of the product’s value proposition.

First-order effects

New Ultimate subscribers will pay $19.99 per month from September, while subscribers seeking a $14.99 Standard plan will forgo day-one titles.
Microsoft gains a clearer price-and-access ladder: premium customers retain immediate releases, while Standard establishes a cheaper delayed-access tier.

Second-order effects

Subscribers must weigh the recurring premium for immediate access against buying individual releases or waiting, which can shift demand between Game Pass tiers and game purchases.
Publishers and platform rivals face a more visible benchmark for how much immediate catalog access can be priced separately from a broader subscription library.

Third-order effects

If Microsoft continues to use release timing as a tier boundary, game subscriptions could increasingly resemble windowed media services, with new releases reserved for higher-value plans.
The approach tests the durable trade-off captured by Ultimate's original bundled proposition: expanding subscription reach while preserving the perceived value of flagship releases.

The trend: Game subscriptions are moving toward segmented access models that charge more for immediacy while using lower tiers to retain price-sensitive players.

Discussion

Xbox Support Xbox Support on x
Game Pass updates announced July 2024
Pure Xbox Ben Kerry on x
Xbox Game Pass Changes Partly Because Microsoft 'Isn't Seeing Strong Growth', Claims Analyst
Gameranx Ryan Parreno on x
Xbox Overhauls Game Pass With Price Increases And A Tier Replacement
@jaypeters.11 Jay Peters on threads
My Ultimate sub lapses at the end of the year. I don't know if this new cost will be worth it to resubscribe. For me, the Steam Deck is just a way more affordable way to play games AND I own them. (Well, assuming Valve doesn't disappear.) …
@guillecummings @guillecummings on threads
So Xbox just made their most attractive offering way less attractive.
@ruleof2review Rob on x
Look at this absolute garbage fire. This is what gaming has come to in 2024. And this is all because of a PRICE INCREASE for Xbox Gamepass. Just buy your games and leave this subscription bullshit in your rearview mirror, friends. This is absurd. [image]
@zhugeex Daniel Ahmad on x
One factor that influenced this move is that Game Pass is not seeing strong growth beyond the current Xbox console install base. Therefore, the goal for current console gamers is to incentivise an upgrade to the higher priced Ultimate tier with day one games / cloud gaming etc
@destinlegarie Destin on x
The internet thinks we're paid to talk about #XboxGamePass. That's crazy. Almost as crazy as getting access to over 100 high-quality games for only 11.99 a month on PC Game Pass. But not the $9.99 Core Game Pass Bundle. And for Game Pass Standard on console you don't get day
@dmc_ryan Ryan McCaffrey on x
Welp, time to reset the “It has been __ days since Xbox stepped on a rake” sign back to zero. 🫠 Sigh... https://www.ign.com/...
@klobrille @klobrille on x
Honestly, while price increases are generally unwelcome, the proposed changes appear to be fair and justifiable. I am, however, surprised that Xbox did not use this opportunity to introduce the Game Pass Friends & Family plan or an affordable, ad-supported Cloud Gaming tier.
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Microsoft's whole “play it day one on Game Pass” message gets messy now: • Xbox Game Pass Core - $9.99 / no day one games ❌ • Xbox Game Pass for Console (existing subs) - $10.99 / day one games ✅ • Xbox Game Pass Standard (new only) - $14.99 / no day one games ❌ • Xbox
@doomassistme Victor Von Doom, PhD on x
I feel like I just went from 15 to 17 on this. Still a good deal but godamn I would feel a LOT better if they announced like the entire COD back catalog with this or like the vast majority of compatible Activision games.
@ethangach @ethangach on x
What's really happening here, aside from the price increase, is that Game Pass is losing day one games. The rest is an overly complicated overhaul to obscure that fact. https://kotaku.com/... [image]
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price increase was expected. I reported in May that Microsoft was considering this. A new Game Pass Standard plan will push more new subscribers to Ultimate, too https://www.theverge.com/... [image]
@matt_okeefe @matt_okeefe on x
Charging $15 for access to multiplayer is SO egregious. That's over double what Sony charges for PlayStation Plus, even though its price was just increased by 33%
@kylebrussell Kyle Russell on x
Let's go crazy, get some ad-supported tiers in there while we're at it
r/TwoBestFriendsPlay r on reddit
Xbox Game Pass is getting MAJOR changes, with a new tier without day one games, and a range of price increases
r/technology r on reddit
Microsoft is hiking the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and launching a new “Standard” tier
r/pcmasterrace r on reddit
Microsoft is hiking the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and launching a new “Standard” tier
r/gaming r on reddit
‘Xbox Game Pass Standard’ is releasing in September
r/gamesEcultura r on reddit
Xbox Game Pass is getting MAJOR changes, with a new tier without day one games, and a range of price increases
r/MicrosoftRewards r on reddit
Xbox Game Pass is getting MAJOR changes, with a new tier without day one games, and a range of price increases
r/XboxGamePass r on reddit
Xbox Game Pass is getting MAJOR changes, with a new tier without day one games, and a range of price increases
r/kindafunny r on reddit
Xbox Game Pass is getting MAJOR changes, with a new tier without day one games, and a range of price increases

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