Highlights
- Xbox Game Pass raised prices, disappointing fans, but future additions could make the increase more bearable for subscribers.
- Specifcally, Activision-Blizzard games could boost the value of the service.
- Despite the hike, Game Pass still offers value compared to Sony and Nintendo subscriptions.
Xbox Game Pass, long considered among the best deals in the gaming industry, saw a recent increase in subscription costs. This came as a disappointment for many Xbox fans who were holding out hope that the games-on-demand service would remain at its remarkably low price point for the foreseeable future, but this disappointment could be mitigated by future additions to the platform.
Since its launch a few years ago, Xbox Game Pass has offered incredible value for its price. For just $14.99 per month on console and $9.99 per month on PC, players could access a massive assortment of high-quality titles, including day-one access to a number of both first-and third-party games. Even as Sony and Nintendo unveiled their competing games-on-demand subscriptions, Game Pass has been seen as the best bang-for-buck proposition, with a strong library and reasonable entry cost. The service still offers great value, but many view the price hike, along with the changes made to day-one release access, as hindrances that lessen the service's dominance in the on-demand space.
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Xbox Game Pass: How To Subscribe And What Games Are Available
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More Activision-Blizzard Games Could Make the Game Pass Price Increase Worth It
Xbox Game Pass' New Pricing Model Came as a Blow to Many Subscribers
- Xbox Game Pass Core Annual: increased from $59.99 to $74.99
- PC Game Pass Monthly: increased from $9.99 to $11.99
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Monthly: increased from $16.99 to $19.99
- Xbox Game Pass Standard Monthly: remains at $14.99, but no day-one game access
Console players were hit the hardest by the Game Pass price increase. Long seen as superior to the comparable PS Plus Extra due to its similar price point, better library, and access to day-one titles, Game Pass Ultimate's monthly subscription fee is now five dollars more than its main competitor, which has been steadily expanding its library with in-demand games. The standard Xbox Game Pass subscription on console, which does not include access to online services, is still $14.99, but it is suffering an arguably greater blow: the loss of day-one access to new releases.
Aside from the initial blow of the cost increase and removal of day-one access for Standard subscribers, this increase suggests that more Game Pass price hikes could be on the horizon. It's important to note that, from a cost-benefit perspective, Xbox Game Pass is still rather worthwhile investment, especially for gamers who want to experience a wide variety of different titles. However, Game Pass is objectively more expensive now, and many expect an increase in value to correlate with this increase in cost.
Diving Into Activision Blizzard Games Could Be the Spark that Game Pass Needs
It's no surprise that both Activision and Blizzard control the rights to a number of hit titles that would be welcome additions to the Game Pass lineup. Now, Microsoft owns these rights, but the company has been surprisingly vague about which games will make their way to the service, and when. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been confirmed as a day-one Game Pass title, which already massively ratchets up the service's value, but Microsoft shouldn't stop there.
It's been rumored that Xbox could pad out the Game Pass library with Activision-Blizzard's extensive back catalog, which would include the entire Call of Duty franchise, World of Warcraft, and even third-party games published by Activision, such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. With these being some of the most popular and critically acclaimed games of the modern age, their arrival on the platform would likely assuage many concerns about Game Pass' diminishing value in light of its increased cost. If Microsoft can commit to bringing these older titles to Game Pass alongside a steady stream of day-one releases, it could help alleviate criticism and disappointment from consumers, while bringing new users to the platform.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
$50 at Amazon$17 at Xbox
