Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Jumps 50% To $30 A Month - And Users Are Furious

1 month ago

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate jumps to $29.99 per month, a 50% hike.
Essential and Premium plans get upgrades without value increases.
Gamers slam nan changes, pinch cancellations crashing Microsoft's site.

Microsoft has accrued nan value of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription a 2nd clip successful little than a year, and it's not by a mini amount. According to nan official Xbox Wire blog, nan work will now costs $29.99 a period -- a 50% value hike. If you do nan math, that's $360 a year.

Also: Save $400 connected nan 34-inch UltraGear OLED gaming show astatine LG

In July 2024, Microsoft raised its prices to $19.99, but dissimilar past year's increase, nan tech elephantine is throwing successful immoderate other perks.

New value and features

Game Pass Ultimate will supply entree to much than 400 titles, and arsenic of Oct. 1, nan work is giving players nan opportunity to play complete 45 caller games. A afloat database of these games is recovered connected Microsoft's website, but to sanction a few, they see Hogwarts Legacy, much than 14 Assassin's Creed titles, Far Cry 3, and Watch Dogs.

Also: Best early October Prime Day 2025 PC gaming deals

Over time, much will beryllium added to nan service. For example, Fortnite Crew, which is simply a subscription scheme for nan celebrated online crippled Fortnite, will go a portion of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It includes entree to nan Fortnite Battle Pass, 1,000 V-Bucks, characteristic skins, and more.

Also: This 9-inch tablet singlehandedly changed my mind astir gaming connected Android

Also, Xbox Cloud Gaming is leaving its "Beta" stage, promising short hold times and high-quality streaming. It's moreover getting support for 1440p solution gaming.

Improving nan essentials

Xbox Game Pass Core, arsenic good arsenic nan modular plan, will not spot a value hike. They will stay astatine $9.99 and $14.99, respectively. Instead, nan 2 services will person a sanction alteration positive a work upgrade. Xbox Game Pass Core will now beryllium known arsenic Xbox Game Pass Essential, and nan modular scheme is going to beryllium dubbed Xbox Game Pass Premium. If you're presently a subscriber to either one, you don't person to do thing extra. Everyone will automatically beryllium moved complete to their respective plan.

Also: Verizon will springiness you a free Nintendo Switch correct now - here's really to get yours

Essential subscribers now person nan opportunity to play much than 50 games crossed PC and console, and moreover bask unlimited unreality access. Players tin besides gain up to $25 a twelvemonth successful nan online shop done Microsoft's rewards programs.

Also: We hand-picked nan 10 champion tech products to gift this year

Xbox Game Pass Premium is seeing akin upgrades. More than 200 titles will beryllium disposable to subscribers connected Xbox and PC. The Premium scheme won't supply day-one motorboat titles -- that remains exclusive to nan Ultimate scheme -- but Microsoft promises "new Xbox-publish games wrong a twelvemonth of their launch."

Player consequence

Player consequence has been overwhelmingly negative. Users person rushed to nan Xbox Game Pass website to cancel their subscriptions. In fact, nan unreserved was truthful aggravated that it reportedly crashed Microsoft's website.

Also: This HP gaming laptop conscionable dropped to $849 astatine Walmart - here's why that's a steal

These past mates of years person been reliable connected gamers, pinch value hikes connected services, games, and consoles occurring each mates of months aliases so. Back successful August, Sony bumped up nan PS5's value tag to $550, and Nintendo accrued nan price of nan original Switch to $340.

Get nan morning's apical stories successful your inbox each time pinch our Tech Today newsletter.