Wednesday, July 10th 2024
Microsoft Increases the Price for Game Pass on PC and Xbox
By the time you're reading this, it's already too late to sign up for the old price, if you were planning on getting or extending your Game Pass, since as of today, Microsoft has increased the cost for both PC and Xbox owners. On top of that, Microsoft has added a new tier for Xbox owners and made its lower tiers a lot less interesting. However, as TPU is a PC centric site, let's start with the bad news for PC owners. Depending on where you live, the price increase varies, but on average, Microsoft has increased the price by US$/€2/£2. However, some lower income countries are only seeing an increase of US$1, although we're not sure why Switzerland ended up in this group. However, the exchange rate is clearly affecting some other countries either negatively or positively where some countries end up paying a little bit more and others a little bit less.
Now for the really bad news for Xbox console owners. Xbox Game Pass for Console is no longer available to new subscribers, but those already on this tier that have automatic renewal enabled will be able to continue to have access to the same tier and perks that it's been offered with to date. In its place, Microsoft is introducing the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier and the fundamental difference between it and the Xbox Game Pass for Console package is that subscribers no longer have access to day one releases, but they gain access to online multiplayer games and the full back catalogue of games. There's no word on how long those subscribed to the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier will have to wait to gain access to new releases yet, but the new tier isn't available immediately either, so we'll most likely find out in due time.The Xbox Game Pass Standard tier will set you back US$14.99 a month—Microsoft hasn't released international pricing as yet—an increase of US$4 over the old Xbox Game Pass for Console tier. At the same time, Microsoft is also increasing the price for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from US$16.99/€14.99/£12.99 to US$19.99/€17.99/£14.99. On top of that, the Xbox Game Pass Core is seeing an increase in the yearly subscription fee from US$59.99/€59.99/£49.99 to US$74.99/€69.99/£55.99, although the monthly fee isn't changing at this point in time, except for in Argentina, Turkey and South Africa which are all seeing a small increase. Local exchange rates affect the above prices as well and you can find a full list of prices in this PDF file provided by Microsoft.
Source:
Microsoft Game Pass FAQ
Now for the really bad news for Xbox console owners. Xbox Game Pass for Console is no longer available to new subscribers, but those already on this tier that have automatic renewal enabled will be able to continue to have access to the same tier and perks that it's been offered with to date. In its place, Microsoft is introducing the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier and the fundamental difference between it and the Xbox Game Pass for Console package is that subscribers no longer have access to day one releases, but they gain access to online multiplayer games and the full back catalogue of games. There's no word on how long those subscribed to the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier will have to wait to gain access to new releases yet, but the new tier isn't available immediately either, so we'll most likely find out in due time.The Xbox Game Pass Standard tier will set you back US$14.99 a month—Microsoft hasn't released international pricing as yet—an increase of US$4 over the old Xbox Game Pass for Console tier. At the same time, Microsoft is also increasing the price for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from US$16.99/€14.99/£12.99 to US$19.99/€17.99/£14.99. On top of that, the Xbox Game Pass Core is seeing an increase in the yearly subscription fee from US$59.99/€59.99/£49.99 to US$74.99/€69.99/£55.99, although the monthly fee isn't changing at this point in time, except for in Argentina, Turkey and South Africa which are all seeing a small increase. Local exchange rates affect the above prices as well and you can find a full list of prices in this PDF file provided by Microsoft.
58 Comments on Microsoft Increases the Price for Game Pass on PC and Xbox
If ya wanna play, ya gotsta pay (more)
But since a lot of gamrz seem to have mo money than brains, I don't feel sorry for them at all, hahahaha :D
Pay more, get less. I'm sure MS is working the backend to reduce server cost and overhead too.
Gamepass growth has stalled so its time to get that revenue growth by alternative means...
Since I'm paying for it I figured I'd try to see what the hubbub is about for using Game Pass on the PC, I mean, why not? I am paying for it to be used on the Xbox.
I find a game I want to try - download gets about 70% done and it fails. I get some stupid error message and error number. I do the whole search online and see numerous posts and suggestions. None of the dozen or so suggestions work. I cannot get the download to pickup from where it failed at so now I have to try and redownload 100+ GB again? Screw it. I won't bother with it then.
Fast forward about 10 months later and my younger brother recently asked me about Game Pass, if I have it - since he knows the kids play the Xbox. I tell him I do and he's kind of excited because there are some games on there he wants us to play coop and he's thinking that the current $16.99 a month would be a good deal. I told him I had issues trying to use it on PC a while back, but I would try again and let him know. I find a game, it's only about 18GB in size and I download it.....the download speed from the Xbox Game Pass server is abysmal. Takes me nearly an hour to download the game and once it hit 100% the install fails. I get some error message and an error number that was different from the one I got some months back. I do the search online, find lots of suggestions and nothing works. I stop caring about it and let things be for a few days.
I try installing the game a few days later - same error, I searched online for answers and kept finding the same suggestions that don't work. After a bit more digging I find a youtube video about the error and the problem that find I'm having is a Windows settings (f'ing MS) that is causing the error. You figure MS would be able to fix it or have their own software bypass the setting, but no. Why would MS ever do something smart like that. My problem is, I want to install the game on my secondary drive and not the main C: drive and I can't, the Game Pass/Xbox software on PC is a poorly written POS.
I now have to change a setting in Windows to allow Microsoft's Game Pass/Xbox software on the PC allow me to install a program on a drive that isn't my main C: drive.....
If you're curious about the fix, click on SPOILER.
Anyway, long story short, I don't think their Game Pass service is worth what will be almost $22 a month (after taxes). Once September rolls around, I'm dropping Game Pass.
probably because even if we have higher salary we pay literally for everything 4 time more than anyone else ...
also, even tho i am Swiss, i do not have a high income in respect to the country i live in ... and many other are not in the "high income" zone :laugh:
well not like a care, never used Gamepass not even a single of my free cards i got with various bundles ... i prefer my games "not rented" ...
Anyway, on topic. I don’t really vibe with subscription services for games. My backlog is massive, my interests are rather specific and, by the time I am ready to get a game fully patched and with DLCs, it’s usually already on a deep discount and can be bought pretty cheap. But I do understand that a lot of people like the Netflix for games model, so this seems like a poor move on MS part. Then again, I believe the Game Pass still is yet to turn a profit, so this might be shareholders forcing their hand.
my other guess would be currency strength ... tho 1chf is 1.03eur atm...
finance.yahoo.com/news/ozempic-1-300-more-expensive-110407376.html
But, to play devils' advocate, the fast food/sugar/convenience industry knows how to market and it absolutely does not play fair with human psychology with regards to comfort and addiction.
Ironically, Xbox have done their marketing, and they know that gaming is addictive to enough people that they'll pay the extra pennies.
I don't want to make assumptions, but it's one of those moments that make you stop and say "Hmm".
Kind of like when First Descendant was down and they blamed it on MS's server infrastructure (and even after it came back up connection to Xbox players often caused all kinds of problems), it was one of those moments that made me think of all the times Destiny was having server issues and they never gave a response as to why (other than DDOS attacks). It's one of those things where it just makes you wonder if (sometimes) Bungie simply wasn't throwing MS under the bus.
It would be interesting if they were taking advantage, at least in some regard, to that current set of circumstances wrt Sony (PS+) account services...but hey, that's just a theory...
A MARKETING THEORY.
This year alone I have played through Gears of War (Windows 10 Edition), Atomic Heart, Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, Astria Ascending, Sea of Stars, and Redfall.