It looks like stores like GameStop will likely see a surge in business as Microsoft increases the price of Game Pass subscriptions, in a move that likely will result in a mass exodus as users seek more affordable gaming. Already, there has been plenty of chatter online with recommendations of going back to buying physical games and leaning toward used title resellers.
This has users steaming (instead of streaming) about the fact that some of the price hikes are as high as 50%, making for a hefty climb. In some cases, this causes some of these services to feel incredibly premium and maybe even an unnecessary luxury.
Not everyone will be seeing the new pricing, as some countries will be delayed for current subscribers (with the new pricing only affecting new customers/subscriptions). But the US is seeing the new pricing immediately for new accounts, with current subscriptions going up on November 4th.
Some tiers have also shifted to new names (Microsoft is well-known for constantly renaming its products and services). The new pricing is as follows:
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Moving from $19.99/month to $29.99/month (no name change)
- PC Game Pass: Moving from $11.99 to $16.49 (no name change)
- Xbox Game Pass Premium (Previously Standard): $14.99/month (no change in price)
- Xbox Game Pass Essential (Previously Core): $9.99/month (no change in price)
Ultimate will include the addition of Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew next month, and Microsoft promises better quality streaming and 1440p support. Premium and Essential now include unlimited cloud gaming and PC access to games within their library. All tiers have received a boost in the number of games available via the cloud.
So Microsoft is trying to make the tiers more appealing in an attempt to reduce the amount of backlash, but that isn’t stopping people from voicing their opinions. If you find that you only play a handful of games every year, suddenly, cloud/online subscriptions have gotten too expensive. For some, it becomes cheaper to simply buy your games new, either physically or digitally via sources like Steam or Loaded, or wait for them to hit the used market (ie, versus subscribing to Ultimate every year).
For users who are still taking advantage of annual discounts, their subscriptions are going up as well. So it seems (almost) no one is safe from price gouging. But that increase for Ultimaste seems to be painful. So what are your thoughts? Feel free to share your opinions below in the comments section.
