Microsoft has announced some price hikes and tier changes for Xbox Game Pass, its gaming subscription service. The changes, which will be effective starting today (July 10), were discreetly announced on Xbox’s support page before being noticed by Wario64 and Windows Central.
The most notable change is that the company will no longer enable users to purchase Game Pass for Console. While existing subscriptions won’t be affected, people will be required to opt for Xbox Game Pass Core or the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier, which is launching “in the coming months.”
Xbox Game Pass Standard will now be selling for $15 a month, offering buyers access to online multiplayer on consoles, but it won’t support cloud gaming or provide immediate access to “some games available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one.”
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Microsoft Changes Pricings For Each Tier
For current subscribers also there will be price hikes. These will take effect on July 10 for new subscribers and September 12 for existing members. Here’s the breakdown of price changes in the US.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will go from $17 a month to $20 a month.
- PC Game Pass will get a price hike from $10 a month to $12 a month.
- A 12-month Xbox Game Pass Core subscription will go up from $60 to $75.
This year is seemingly a big year for Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft just brought the service to Amazon Fire TVs, and it’s getting plenty of exciting day-one games this year. Next week, Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will launch on Xbox Game Pass. Later, first-party games such as Age of Mythology: Retold, Avowed, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will also be added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as day-one titles.
Microsoft might think this would be enough to justify the price hike to its popular subscription service. Only time will tell if consumers think the same.
Also Read: Epic Games To Fight Apple Over ‘Arbitrary’ Changes
Amazon, Microsoft Join Forces To Bring Xbox Cloud Gaming To Fire TV
Amazon has joined forces with Microsoft to integrate the Xbox cloud gaming service with Fire TV devices. From July onwards, users of Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) and Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) will be able to access popular games like Starfield, Fallout 4, and Forza Horizon 5 through an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is priced at Rs 549 per month in India.
Amazon, in a press release, said that this collaboration will bring the Game Pass Ultimate library to TVs through compatible Fire TV Stick devices and a Bluetooth gaming controller.
The company also highlighted that the cloud gaming service will deliver a console-quality gaming experience. Moreover, it is noteworthy that apart from Xbox controllers like the Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation controllers such as the DualSense and DualShock 4 are also compatible with this service.