Microsoft increases Xbox Game Pass prices and creates new plan (2024)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscriptions are going up starting in price starting September.

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@Pureinfotech
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Xbox Series X console (source: Microsoft)
Xbox Series X console (source: Microsoft)
  • Microsoft plans to increase the price of the Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscriptions.
  • The subscription prices will affect almost all markets starting September 12, 2024.
  • The company is also introducing a new “Standard” plan without day-one tiles.

Microsoft will increase the price of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions in September 2024. In addition, the company plans to offer a new Xbox Game Pass Standard that won’t offer new games on day one.

Currently, the Game Pass Ultimate subscription costs $16.99, but starting on September 12, 2024, the price will increase to $19.99, which is a hasty $3 per month (or $36 per year) increase. 

The PC Game Pass’s current price is $9.99, but it will increase to $11.99 in September, which translates to a $2 monthly (or $24 per year) increase. The “good news” is that this tier will maintain the day-one titles.

Although these are the new prices for subscribers in the United States, the price hike will affect virtually every market. This Microsoft document contains the new prices for markets outside the US.

Microsoft will offer new customers a new “Xbox Game Pass Standard” subscription for $14.99 monthly. This plan will replace the “Xbox Game Pass Console,” which will continue to be available for existing customers for the time being. However, after July 10, the option will no longer be available for selection. The new Standard plan should arrive in the coming months. It will offer online multiplayer access but won’t include day-one games.

New Xbox Game Pass prices and plans

The new lineup and prices of Xbox Game Pass for 2024 and beyond:

  • Xbox Game Pass Core: Costs $9.99 per month (or $74.99 per year), and it includes online console multiplayer, a catalog of more than 25 games on console, and deals and discounts.
  • Xbox Game Pass Standard: It costs $14.99 per month (or $179.88 per year) and includes online console multiplayer, a catalog with hundreds of games, and deals and discounts.
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: This plan costs $19.99 per month (or $239.98 per year) and includes online console multiplayer, a catalog with hundreds of games, day-one game additions, EA Play access, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and perks and discounts.
  • PC Game Pass: It costs $11.99 per month (or $143.88 per year) and includes PC library access, EA Play access, day-one game additions, and perks and discounts.

If you’re interested in the day-one titles, you should now consider the “PC Game Pass” as it is the cheapest option but steers you away from the Xbox console. Microsoft could be doing this intentionally since Steam dominates the PC gaming market.

If you have an Xbox Game Pass for Console code, it will continue to be redeemable, but you can only stick up a maximum of 13 months. However, if you already have more months stacked on your account, you can exceed the 13-month limit.

The price hike is not surprising since virtually every online service (especially video streaming services such as Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) always starts at a low price point and slowly increases its prices as it acquires customers. 

This is not the first time that Microsoft has increased its gaming subscription prices. In July 2023, the “Ultimate” plan went from $14.99 to $16.99. At that time, it was also believed that the regular subscription was going to increase from $9.99 to $10.99, but it was kept to $9.99, and that will continue to the price for 2024 with the “Core” plan.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].