Microsoft hikes Game Pass Ultimate to $30/month — What you need to know
Microsoft has rebranded some Game Pass tiers and raised prices on its premium plan. Here are the key points:
- Game Pass Ultimate now costs $30 per month (a 50% increase from $20). Microsoft has removed annual and quarterly billing options, making the monthly price the primary option.
- At $30/month, Game Pass Ultimate costs $360 per year, which is more than double the current PlayStation Plus Premium annual plan (~$160).
- Microsoft previously raised the Ultimate price from $17 to $20 in July 2024, so this latest change nearly doubles the cost in ~15 months.
- Microsoft is also increasing prices on Xbox Series X/S consoles in the US, and pre-orders for the ROG Xbox Ally handheld show the higher-end model priced at $1,000.
Why this matters: the value proposition for Xbox fans is changing — higher subscription and hardware costs make it more expensive to stay on the platform.
Where to find more info
- Search ROG Ally on Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ROG+Ally&tag=f1rede-20
- Search Xbox Series X on Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Xbox+Series+X&tag=f1rede-20
Discussion
Are you planning to keep your Game Pass Ultimate subscription at the new price, downgrade, or switch platforms? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Source: reports summarized from major tech outlets (no direct RSS link included).