We all knew that with Call of Duty Black Ops 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft would be itching to hike some prices. Well, it has finally happened. Microsoft has increased the pricing of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for both PCs and consoles. Furthermore, there is now a new Xbox Game Pass standard tier without access to day-one games.
Microsoft made an official announcement confirming these changes. Furthermore, as reported by multiple industry insiders and reports, there will be various changes around the Xbox Game Pass outside of the hike too. Do note that until September 12, 2024, gamers with recurring billing turned on will pay for their old prices.
For starters, Microsoft has increased the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price to $19.99 compared to $16.99 monthly. Similarly, a new subscription to PC Game Pass will now cost $11.99 instead of $9.99.
The Xbox Game Pass Core annual plan, the replacement for Xbox Live Gold, will now cost $74.99 for 12 months, over $59.99. However, the monthly subscription price for Game Pass Core will remain unchanged.
New Xbox Game Pass Standard Tier Launched
Alongside all these changes, Microsoft has also launched a new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier for the console. The tier will be priced at $14.99 per month but won’t include access to day-one games.
Starting July 10, however, new Game Pass users won’t be able to select the console option until the new standard tier is available. However, anyone currently on a recurring billing will continue to use the Xbox Game Pass for Console. The new Xbox Standard tier should launch sometime later in September 2024.
While the price changes for the Xbox Game Pass are clear and straightforward, the news about the Game Pass benefit changes has confused a lot of folks out there.
So, if you plan to play Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on your existing Xbox Game Pass for Console subscription, which expires soon, you better keep that recurring billing turned on until the launch. Let us know if these price changes affect you in the comments below.
