Microsoft plans to increase the pricing of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate again in September, while launching a new “Standard” subscription that does not include day-one access to first-party Xbox games. The Xbox maker has started sending email warnings to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers that starting September 12, the price will rise to $19.99 per month, a $3 increase from the current price of $16.99 per month.
PC Game Pass subscribers will also see a price increase in September, with the service rising from $9.99 to $11.99 per month and retaining access to day-one games. If you’re outside the U.S. and want to know how the price increase affects your own subscription, Microsoft has a complete list of all global price changes here .
The price increase comes as Microsoft plans to add Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and other big first-party Xbox games coming to its Game Pass service later this year. This price increase will largely affect Ultimate subscribers, who make up the vast majority of Game Pass subscribers and come just over a year after the last Game Pass price increase, which saw monthly rates increase by $1 to $2.
In addition to the price increase for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, Microsoft will also offer a new option for an Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription that requires no day-one play, with the service priced at $14.99 per month for new users. Existing subscribers will continue to use their existing Xbox Game Pass console subscription, but starting July 10, new Game Pass subscribers will not be able to select a console option until the new Game Pass standard subscription is available. Microsoft says Xbox Game Pass Standard “will be available in the coming months.”
The new standard option also includes online console multiplayer access, something Xbox Game Pass for Console previously lacked. As of September 18, existing Xbox Game Pass for console subscribers can only be stacked for up to 13 months, but this will not affect existing stacks.
I revealed in May that Microsoft was considering raising Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing again amid the debate surrounding the addition of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. call of Duty to service. Top-end price increases will help offset Microsoft’s addition of Activision call of Duty series to Game Pass, ever since Microsoft launched COD Also official.
