Xbox Game Pass new tiers: Essential, Premium and Ultimate differences and prices explained
Will you pass on the new prices?
In some contentious but not altogether surprising news, Microsoft is upping the costs of the Xbox Game Pass yet again.
At the start of October the tech giant launched the rebranding of their three subscription tiers, with costs increasing by up to 50%.
Gamers will now have to choose between the Essential, Premium and Ultimate Game Pass tiers, with priced at £10 a month, £14.99 a month and £22.99 respectively.
This update has come into effect instantly for new subscribers although swift backlash from fans has caused Microsoft to delay the update for existing customers.
Here's a full breakdown for what this update means for you.
Xbox Game Pass new tiers at a glance
There are three new Xbox Game Pass tiers which have all undergone a price hike, here's a look at what they include:
- Xbox Game Pass Essential
- Unlimited cloud gaming
- Online console multiplayer
- Catalogue of over 50 games on console
- Member deals & discounts
- Xbox Game Pass Premium
- Unlimited cloud gaming with shorter wait times
- Online console multiplayer
- 200+ of games on console - less than a year old
- Member deals & discounts
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
- 400+ of games on console, PC and cloud
- 75+ games on day one of release
- Member deals, discounts and Perks
- Online console multiplayer
- EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics membership
Now, read on for the unfortunate matter of the price increases.
Prices and differences explained for new Xbox Game Pass tiers
Microsoft has said new subscribers will pay the increased costs immediately although we haven't seen them pull through on the official website just yet. Meanwhile current subscribers will see the increase from 4th November in the UK and US. However, the increase has been indefinitely halted in some European companies including Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Poland, and India.
Below are each of the tiers, how much they cost and how much the price went up by:
Xbox Game Pass Essential
Xbox Game Pass Essential (formerly known as Xbox Game Pass Core) now costs £10 a month, up from £6.99.
This tier doesn’t receive any day-one releases, so it’s pretty barebones.
Xbox Game Pass Premium
Xbox Game Pass Premium (formerly standard) also doesn’t receive day-one releases and now costs £14.99
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Already expensive, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s monthly price is increasing from £14.99 to £22.99.
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Authors
Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video producer who contributes to RadioTimes.com's Gaming section. He also has bylines for Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, Network N and more.
