Since late last year, Xbox has made it clear it’s shifting its business model. The “This Is an Xbox” campaign has had mixed results with the general audience, as the company focuses on its Game Pass subscription service and Cloud Gaming. The idea behind the campaign is that Xbox isn’t just about consoles anymore but is a platform that can be enjoyed on numerous devices, including vehicles. This year, Xbox consoles have seen two price hikes, one in May and one just announced a couple of weeks ago on September 19. That raised the Xbox Series S 512GB to $399.99, with the range topping out at $799.99 for the Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition. Then, we have the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, created in collaboration with ASUS, priced at $599.99 for the standard ROG Xbox Ally and $999.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally X.
Now, we have a price increase heading to Game Pass, along with a list of changes for each tier. For starters, they’re now Essential, Premium, and Ultimate. Current Game Pass Core subscribers will automatically move to Essential, while Standard subscribers will transition to Premium. Ultimate subscribers will remain on the Ultimate plan, that is, if they don’t unsubscribe. That’s because Ultimate is jumping to $29.99 per month, a $10 increase. To incentivize that price, Ultimate is the only tier moving forward that will receive Xbox-published games on day one. There’s no mention of Xbox-published games on Essential, which is $9.99 a month, while Premium members will get new Xbox-published games within a year of launch at $14.99 a month.
In a marketing slide, Xbox states that Essential has access to over 50 games, while Premium members get access to over 200. Ultimate’s library expands to over 400 games and includes Ubisoft+ Classics and EA Play. Fortnite Crew will be added in November. You can see a breakdown of each tier below, as well as new games being added to all three tiers starting today.
It’ll be interesting to see the impact of these price increases. I’ve long supported Game Pass, saying it’s the best bang for the buck for gamers, especially with all the titles available on day one. With that shifting exclusively to the Ultimate tier, which is $29.99 a month, it’s no longer a great deal. Then again, it depends on how many different games you play. As for PC Game Pass, the app currently shows $16.49 a month. The price changes are effective immediately, so you may want to double-check what plan you’re on before your next billing cycle if you need to make some changes.
Game Pass Tier Changes
Essential — $9.99/month
- 50+ games
- Playable on PC, console, and cloud
- Unlimited cloud gaming
- In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
- Online console multiplayer
- Play and earn up to $25 a year in the Store with Rewards
Premium — $14.99/month
- 200+ games
- Playable on PC, console, and cloud
- New Xbox-published games within a year of launch
- Unlimited cloud gaming with shorter wait times
- In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
- Online console multiplayer
- Play and earn up to $50 a year in the Store with Rewards
Ultimate — $29.99/month
- 400+ games
- Playable on PC, console, and cloud
- 75+ day-one games per year, including all Xbox-published games day one
- Ubisoft+ Classics and EA Play included, with Fortnite Crew coming in November
- Unlimited cloud gaming at the best quality with the shortest wait times
- In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
- Online console multiplayer
- Play and earn up to $100 a year in the Store with Rewards
Game Pass Game Additions
Ultimate – Available Today
- Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed II (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection (Cloud and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Unity (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Child of Light (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Far Cry 3 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Far Cry Primal (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Hungry Shark World (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Monopoly Madness (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Monopoly 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- OddBallers (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show (Cloud and Console)
- Rabbids: Party of Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Rayman Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Risk Urban Assault (Cloud and Console)
- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Skull and Bones (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- South Park: The Stick of Truth (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Steep (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- The Crew 2 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- The Settlers: New Allies (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Tom Clancy’s The Division (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Trackmania Turbo (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Transference (Cloud and Console)
- Trials Fusion (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Trials of the Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Trials Rising (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Uno (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Watch_Dogs (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Wheel of Fortune (Cloud and Console)
- Zombi (Cloud, PC, and Console)
Premium – Available Today (also in Ultimate)
- 9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC)
- Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Against the Storm (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC)
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (PC)
- Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Ara: History Untold (PC)
- Arx Fatalis (PC)
- Back to the Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Battletech (PC)
- Blacksmith Master (Game Preview) (PC)
- Cataclismo (PC)
- Cities: Skylines II (PC)
- Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Diablo (PC)
- Diablo IV (PC and Console)
- An Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire (PC)
- The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)
- Fallout (PC)
- Fallout 2 (PC)
- Fallout: Tactics (PC)
- Football Manager 2024 (PC)
- Frostpunk 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Halo: Spartan Strike (PC)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC)
- Minami Lane (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Minecraft: Java Edition (PC)
- Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Quake 4 (PC)
- Quake III Arena (PC)
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC)
- Rise of Nations: Extended Edition (PC)
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Sworn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
- Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)
- Volcano Princess (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)
- Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)
- Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)
- Wolfenstein 3D (PC)
Essential – Available Today (also in Ultimate and Premium)
- Cities: Skylines Remastered (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S)
- Disney Dreamlight Valley (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Hades (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (Cloud, PC, and Console)
