Xbox is hiking Game Pass prices but sparing PC Game Pass, at least for now

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Microsoft says the higher price "reflects competitive market conditions."

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Bad news, console pals: Microsoft is increasing its Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription prices next month. Things are brighter here on the PC:  PC Game Pass pricing will stay locked in place at $9.99 (£7.99). And Game Pass isn't the only thing Microsoft's charging more for: the price of the Series X console is going up in most countries where it's for sale, though notably not in the US. 

"We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market," Xbox's global communications lead Kari Perez told The Verge.

The price hike will see the base Game Pass subscription increase from $9.99 (£7.99) to $10.99 (£8.99) a month in the US and UK, while the Game Pass Ultimate subscription will increase to $16.99 (£12.99). Luckily, the $9.99 (£7.99) price tag for PC players is staying the same.

The Verge has a full breakdown of how Game Pass's price is increasing by country as there's some variation Norway, for example, is exempt from the base Game Pass bump but is still going to have to pay more for Ultimate.

It's a rare win when PC gaming is less pricey than the console market (thrifty Steam deals and the like notwithstanding), considering the dent a good rig can make on a bank balance. Whether you're even paying up right now is another story: as PC Gamer's own Tyler Wilde mentioned last month, Microsoft's key Game Pass draws have left a lot to be desired. 

I can't help wondering if that's part of the reason why the price didn't rise on PC. As Tyler observed, we won't be seeing much out of PC Game Pass until Starfield's debut September 6. There's Exoprimal on July 14, and I'm personally very excited to mow down some dinos, but it's otherwise slim pickings.

Harvey Randall
Harvey Randall
Staff Writer

Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.