Microsoft just dropped a major restructuring of Xbox Game Pass that significantly changes how much players pay for day-one access to new games. The company announced the changes through Xbox Wire, introducing three new console-focused tiers and raising prices across the board.
The headline change: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs $29.99 per month in the U.S., up from $19.99. That’s a 50% increase. Day-one access to Microsoft’s first-party titles and select third-party games is now exclusive to Ultimate on console.
The new structure includes Essential as the entry tier and Premium as the mid-tier option. Neither plan includes day-one releases. Players who want to jump into new Xbox exclusives on launch day must either subscribe to Ultimate or opt for the PC-only plan.
PC Game Pass remains available as a separate subscription that keeps day-one access. However, it’s also getting a price bump from $11.99 to $16.49 per month. That’s still cheaper than Ultimate, but represents nearly a 40% increase.
Microsoft is sweetening the deal by adding around 45–50 Ubisoft titles to Game Pass. Ultimate subscribers get Ubisoft+ Classics included, while PC Game Pass players will see about 50 Ubisoft games added to their catalog. EA Play remains bundled with Ultimate as before.
Cloud gaming continues as an Ultimate-exclusive feature. Microsoft frames the changes as adding value through catalog expansion, but the price hike is substantial by any measure.
The company also quietly nerfed its subscription conversion system. Players who previously could convert EA Play or other subscription time into Ultimate at favorable rates will now get much less. EA Play time, for example, now converts at just 20% of its remaining duration when upgrading to Ultimate.
The new tiers start today for new subscribers. Existing members typically see price changes at their next billing cycle. Microsoft usually sends email notifications before implementing increases.
The annual reality check
At $29.99 monthly, Ultimate now costs $359.88 per year before taxes. That’s approaching the price of a new console or several full-price games. Players who don’t regularly play multiple new releases at launch may find the value proposition harder to justify.
PC Game Pass at $16.49 monthly totals $197.88 annually. It’s positioned as the more affordable path to day-one access, though that price point has jumped significantly from where it stood just months ago.
This marks another round of increases for Game Pass after Microsoft raised prices in 2023 and introduced “Game Pass Standard” in 2024. The service has long positioned day-one first-party releases as its core selling point. Now that feature sits firmly behind a $30 monthly paywall for console players.
