Xbox announced changes to its Game Pass service, including price hikes and a new tier that omits day-one releases. New subscribers will see these changes starting July 10, while existing users will notice them from September 12.
The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will rise from $17 to $20 per month in the US. PC Game Pass will increase from $10 to $12 per month. Additionally, a year of Xbox Core, formerly Xbox Live Gold, will go from $60 to $75. The $10 monthly option remains unchanged.
Xbox is replacing the Console tier with a new Standard tier, costing $15 per month in the US. Unlike the previous tier, the Standard option won’t include day-one releases. Xbox has stated that some games available on day one with Game Pass Ultimate might not be immediately available with the Standard tier but could be added later.
The last price increase for Game Pass occurred in June 2023. Xbox has yet to clarify which day-one releases will be excluded from the Standard tier. These changes aim to restructure the subscription service while offering various options to subscribers.