Picture: Xbox
Generally, when something sounds too good to be true, it's because it's not going to last much longer. That was very much the feeling around Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, which made the launch of the Xbox Series X/S feel so good. There was this incredible library, including day one releases of Microsoft's published titles, to check into for just ten bucks a month.
Over the years since then, the prices have increased, even though they were at the same time that major international financial issues were emerging after the covid pandemic. In 2023, A game pass for a console went up to $11while the ultimate version that gave you access to PC games went up two dollars to $16.99. Which still felt like a pretty reasonable deal, and despite talk of the increase coinciding with Microsoft's shocking purchase of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, it was actually a slightly below-inflation increase.
But then came 2024. In July, it was announced that Game Pass Ultimate going up from $17 to $20, a whopping 18 percent increase, and now well above inflation. But worse – far worse – Microsoft at the same time killed the $11 console rate that was only more affordable. It was replaced by a new tier called Game Pass Standard, which no longer included day one game releases, and was priced at $15! Yup, a price increase of almost 50 percent for a far away worse version.
What this meant, in effect, was that the price of Game Pass—for anyone using it as a way to access the entire library and play Microsoft games a day—went from $11 to $20 per month. And this time, with the $69 billion deal Activision Blizzard somehow passed, it really did feel that it was a factor.
In 2024, Game Pass went from one of the great deals of a lifetime to one to some disappointment, now $240 a year, with no discounted annual prices. Which is royally stupid. – Iain MacCoisir
