Xbox Game Pass Price Hike: A Mixed Bag for Gamers

Microsoft recently made some big changes to Xbox Game Pass. They added more features and renamed some tiers, but they also raised the prices. This didn't go down well with many gamers, especially those who use the Ultimate subscription. The backlash was so strong that Microsoft's website had trouble keeping up with the number of people unsubscribing. Now, Microsoft has decided to delay the price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in some European countries. This means that users in these regions won't have to pay the new, higher price for now. However, users in the US and UK will still have to pay the increased price. The delay is indefinite, but it only applies to subscribers who were already signed up for Game Pass Ultimate before the price hike and have an auto-renewing membership. If you cancel your subscription, you'll have to pay the new prices if you want to sign back up again. Microsoft sent an email to Game Pass subscribers overnight, informing those in regions where the delay applies that they won't have to pay a steeper cost for Ultimate for now. The company promised that users in markets where the increase has been delayed will be notified about the end of that holdup — or any other adjustments to Xbox Game Pass' pricing — 60 days in advance. This means that the current delay will last at least two months, and likely considerably longer. The delay is good news for anyone who's in the select few countries where it's applicable. With that said, it's also disappointing for those that aren't, leaving many to wonder if Microsoft will be open to reconsidering the price hike in any way beyond what law dictates. The delay is not in response to scathing negative feedback; if this was the case, you'd expect to see the it come to the US and UK, too. Ultimately, only time will provide an answer to that question. As Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden wrote about at length last week, the increase may have come as a consequence of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's huge spring-summer quarter and the expected costs of fostering game-rich seasons like that again moving forward. In the end, we may see Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's price remain where it is, with users begrudgingly accepting it if it means they'll continue to get a wide variety of excellent games as they did in 2025. Alternatively, Microsoft may backpedal, returning Ultimate to a lower cost but potentially limiting how much it ends up bringing to customers. Whatever the future looks like, it's a good idea to snag some Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription time now while you can still find gift cards for it at the old $19. 99/month price. If you have a solid gaming PC or a gaming handheld, you might also swap to PC Game Pass like I did; provided you have a system to use it with, I'd argue it's stolen the crown of the "best deal in gaming" from Ultimate.