This Wednesday, July 10, 2024 marks a turning point for Xbox Game Pass. Since its launch in 2017, the subscription formula has established itself as a must-have in the video game industry thanks to the many advantages it brings to gamers at various affordable prices. Unfortunately, all this is about to change and the popularity of the service could well take a hit. Just as streaming platform users have suffered relentless increases, along with loss of benefits and the launch of less advantageous plans, PC and Xbox gamers will have to face the same problems.
Microsoft has just revealed an overhaul of its Game Pass service that will not will not be to everyone's taste. Starting today, the Redmond firm will apply new rates for all its new subscribers. Existing users will be able to continue to enjoy their current plans with a reprieve until September 12, 2024. The changes are numerous, complex, and could well sow doubt among players. To help you find your way around, here is our summary of the situation based on your player profile.
You play on an Xbox console
Unfortunately, it is console players that Microsoft is attacking most brutally with its changes. The Xbox Game Pass console plan that we knew until now - billed at €10.99 per month - is eliminated as of today. Only existing subscribers will be able to continue to enjoy it until September, as long as automatic renewal is activated or the period registered via prepaid card is still active. Prepaid cards remain valid until further notice, but players will not be able to activate more than 13 months of subscription this way.
New subscribers currently have no choice but to turn to the Xbox Game Pass Core (the equivalent of the old Xbox Live Gold) or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plans. But as bad news never comes alone, new Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will now be billed €17.99 per month compared to €14.99 previously. In concrete terms, console players will almost double the price of their subscription to continue enjoying the Game Pass catalog.
To respond to this sudden increase, Microsoft is preparing a new subscription tier called Xbox Game Pass Standard, which will be available “in the coming months“ without further details. This will be billed at $14.99 per month (its price in euros has not been revealed) and will offer access to the online features of Game Pass Core, as well as access to the Xbox Game Pass library with the exception of day one releases which will no longer be included. The Redmond firm is now reserving the flagship asset of its service for the most expensive formula and PC players. Is this a way to capitalize on the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6?
You play on PC
PC players are largely spared from the chaos now reigning on Xbox consoles. The Game Pass PC and its benefits remain unchanged. Users will continue to benefit from day one releases and the entire catalog. New subscribers will however have to pay a monthly fee set at €11.99 compared to €9.99 previously. These rates will be applied to all players next September.
Users who prefer the Game Pass Ultimate plan to the PC plan in order to take advantage of Cloud Gaming will suffer the drastic increase faced by console players (i.e. €17.99 per month compared to €14.99 previously). It may be time to judge whether your consumption of this tool justifies a €6 difference between the Game Pass PC without Cloud and the Game Pass Ultimate with Cloud.
Clearly, current subscribers have every interest in keeping their plans until September, while newcomers will have to think a little longer before deciding which Xbox Game Pass to turn to. Why do it simply when you can do it complicated…
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