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After many years of keeping its pricing steady, Microsoft will soon raise the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and the standard Game Pass for Console service.
Currently £10.99 per month in the UK, $14.99 in the US, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has always represented great value. You get access to 100s of Xbox games, 100s of Windows titles through PC Game Pass, EA Play membership, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and plenty of exclusive discounts.
However, due to rising costs and financial strains around the world, price plans will be bumped up. The Verge reveals that pretty much every region will be affected, save for Norway, Chile, Denmark, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, and the increase will be around 18 per cent everywhere.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Xbox Game Pass price hike, how much it’ll cost you going forward, and how to avoid it for a while.
When will Xbox Game Pass go up in price?
Microsoft plans to raise the price of both Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate on 6 July 2023 for new customers. Subscribe on or after that day and you’ll be paying the new prices.
It’s a bit different for existing customers. They will see prices rise on 13 August 2023 (13 September in Germany). Any existing subscription will be fine until it renews – if that’s on or after 13 August, you’ll pay the new price.
How much will the Xbox Game Pass price hike cost me?
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass for Console will rise to the following prices in the most popular regions:
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (per month)
- UK: £12.99,
£10.99 - US: $16.99,
$14.99 - Canada: $18.99,
$16.99 - Central Europe: €14.99,
€12.99 - Japan: 1210 yen,
1100 yen
Xbox Game Pass for Console (per month)
- UK: £8.99,
£7.99 - US: $10.99,
$9.99 - Canada: $12.99,
$11.99 - Central Europe: €10.99,
€9.99 - Japan: 935 yen,
850 yen
How to avoid the Xbox Game Pass price hike
Although you can’t avoid the new prices forever, there’s one way to ensure you are paying the old prices for a while yet.
First, you can buy a 12-month subscription before the prices go up. And, as Microsoft allows stacking, the extension is added onto an existing plan so you could defer the higher costs for fair while.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month membership
Get a whole month’s worth of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in voucher form. A three-month code is also available.
£32.97Alternatively, you can buy multiple 3-month subscription codes and stack those. Microsoft actually allows stacking up to 36-months’ worth so you could grab 12 3-month passes and ensure that you avoid paying the new prices for three years.
Also, as a 3-month or 12-month voucher already gives you a saving in comparison with paying monthly, you could end up saving a fair amount.
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