Microsoft announces price hikes for Game Pass tiers and new plan without day one launches

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is experiencing a price increase across all tiers: console, Ultimate, and PC. A new tier, "Xbox Game Pass Standard," will launch in September 2024 at $14.99 per month, offering access to a back catalog of games and Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer but excluding day-one games and Xbox Cloud gaming. New users will also not be able to sign up for the existing Xbox Game Pass for Console, as this tier will cease to exist in the coming months. This was a move that had been rumored for a while, especially since the company confirmed the Day One launch of the next Call of Duty title on GamePass this year.

Current Xbox Game Pass for Console subscribers can keep their existing subscriptions, which include day-one games and the back catalog. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will see a price increase to $19.99 per month, while PC Game Pass will rise from $9.99 to $11.99 per month, both still offering day-one games, and with Xbox Cloud Gaming included for Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass Core, previously known as Xbox Live Gold, will have its annual price raised to $74.99, though the monthly cost remains at $9.99. These price changes will be effective globally from September 12, 2024, for recurring billing users.

Microsoft has provided a support page for more information and assistance, noting that most subscribers are on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan, which includes access to all games on Xbox consoles, cloud gaming, and PC, along with cross-save and cross-progression features. We recommend interested users take a look at this graphic to better understand Microsoft's already well-known confusing plans.