After hiking Xbox prices twice this year, Microsoft just bumped monthly Game Pass costs by 50%
The move comes just a few weeks after Microsoft hiked the price of Xbox consoles by up to $70.
October is Xbox price hike month.
Microsoft on Wednesday announced that the cost of its top-tier monthly gaming subscription, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, is rising to $30 per month, up from $20. The 50% increase will be followed by an already announced boost to the price of Xbox consoles later this week.
According to Microsoft, the subscription price hike reflects an “expanded catalog, new partner benefits, and upgraded cloud gaming experience.” The company also said that 45 new games are being added to the tier today.
Microsoft doesn’t frequently disclose Game Pass subscription numbers, but estimates put the current figure at about 38 million. That could grow with the launch of Xbox’s new handheld device, the ROG Xbox Ally, on October 16.
The handhelds won’t be cheap, either: the base model will cost $600, while the higher-powered edition will cost $1,000. For context, the Series X console, which launched at $500 about five years ago, will retail for $650 when the latest boost takes effect on Friday.
Microsoft may be more willing to raise prices than its rivals Nintendo and Sony, but all three have bumped the shelf price of some consoles this year amid tariffs.
