Microsoft broke another promise with its new Xbox Game Pass deal
Microsoft has made it needlessly difficult for people to pick the right Xbox Game Pass subscription and gone back on its word yet again
We all knew this day was coming. Like seemingly every other subscription service, Microsoft has announced that Xbox Game Pass will be increasing in price.
However, it’s also changed the benefits that come with each tier, breaking yet another promise it made to consumers while making the whole thing a needlessly confusing mess in the process.
The main takeaway is that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is still the membership most serious Xbox players will want. It comes with everything we know and love today – Xbox Cloud Gaming, day one releases, perks, access to EA Play, a library of hundreds of games – but the price has increased from $16.99 a month to $19.99.
That isn’t great news, obviously. But with the addition of Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass, perhaps it isn’t too surprising. I just hope you enjoy Activision’s bombastic shooter and other titles from the publisher, otherwise, you might feel a little short-changed.
The changes to PC Game Pass are also easy to understand. You get the same benefits as before, including day one releases and that ever-growing library of free games, but now it costs $2 a month extra – $11.99 instead of $9.99.
PC Game Pass has always been the best deal overall as you don’t have to pay for online access, and that remains the case even with the price increase. It’s still the best Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 deal, too, as you can play the new shooter for $11.99 instead of $70.
Goodbye, Xbox Game Pass for Console
So far, that’s all pretty straightforward, then. But Microsoft’s decision to change the standard Xbox Game Pass tier is where things descend into madness. From September 12, the classic Xbox Game Pass for Console tier will no longer receive day one releases and will be rebranded to Xbox Game Pass Standard, which costs $14.99 a month.
However, it will now include Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer access, which was previously only included with Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Speaking of Xbox Game Pass Core, that’s also getting a price hike, but only for an annual subscription. It’s rising from $59.99 to $74.99. However, it’ll remain $9.99 a month.
The audience that comes off worse from all these changes is console owners.
Xbox Game Pass Standard will include access to Xbox’s back catalog, similar to how PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra function, but no day one releases. That means you won’t be able to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 when it releases on October 25 unless you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or a PC Game Pass subscription.
It also means you’ll miss out on many of the biggest upcoming Xbox games, such as Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Furthermore, the audience that comes off worse from all these changes is console owners. Not only do PC players get to pay significantly less every month, but they still get day one releases. Considering Microsoft is having such a hard time shifting Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, it’s not exactly showing its core audience much love.
Another day, another backtrack
So why the change? Well, Microsoft’s objective is crystal clear: it wants to push more people to sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate instead of Xbox Game Pass Standard. But in the process of doing so, it’s backtracked on yet another promise.
When asked about Xbox Game Pass in May in an interview with Bloomberg, president Sarah Bond said, “We know our core users love Game Pass. Game Pass is a gaming subscription where you get a whole portfolio of games. But importantly, you get every single one of our games, day one, on Xbox Game Pass.”
That will no longer be the case from September 12 if you have Xbox Game Pass Standard, removing the biggest advantage that Microsoft’s service has over Sony’s PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra tiers, while also changing a perk that’s been in place since January 2018.
I’m unlikely to renew my membership anytime soon unless Microsoft can start delivering must-play titles.
The decision has been made to justify Microsoft’s $69bn expenditure on Activision Blizzard, which has so far given subscribers Diablo 4 on Xbox Game Pass and very little else. It also led to Microsoft shutting down its only Japanese studio in Tango Gameworks, a decision which I feel should have led to Phil Spencer’s resignation.
So, let’s recap on how Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass tiers will work from September 12, just in case you’ve lost track:
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $19.99 a month. It includes day one releases, Xbox Cloud Gaming, EA Play, perks, Xbox Live Gold, and a library of hundreds of games.
PC Game Pass costs $11.99 a month. It includes day one releases, a library of hundreds of games, and you don’t need to pay anything extra for online.
Xbox Game Pass Standard costs $14.99 a month. It includes a library of hundreds of games and Xbox Live Gold. You do not get day one releases or other benefits like Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Xbox Game Pass Core costs $9.99 a month. It includes a library of 36 games and Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer access.
Before you rush out and stack Xbox Game Pass Ultimate before the price hike, which can now only be done for up to 13 months instead of three years, make sure you use our Xbox Game Pass Ultimate discount code to save some money.
Moving forward
In recent months, I’ve let my Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription expire for the first time since it was introduced after growing frustrated with the botched launch of Redfall and the incomplete releases of Starfield and Forza Motorsport. With the new prices and tiers, I’m unlikely to renew my membership anytime soon unless Microsoft can start delivering must-play titles.
By then, I wouldn’t be surprised if the price of an Xbox Game Pass membership has increased further still or splintered into another tier. I think I’ll stick with my Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership for now.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.