Only for new users, imo they’re trying to push anyone considering game pass on console into Ultimate. While making it less attractive of a choice for anyone that’s may decided they don’t need pc or online functionality.
Microsoft muat have a weekly meeting to figure out how they can piss off their customers a bit more, and think of ways to devalue the option of having a console.
At some point I am going to have to sit down and go through all my subs and what its costing me. Currently I have 2 x GPU Netflix Paramount Plus Prime (plus two more subs in that) Binge Spotify Chat GPT Audiobookstore Stan
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MS does a fair amount of dumb stuff but a sub increase was inevitable and quite frankly the price is still more than fair considering what it offers
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I limited my TV-streaming to one app/month, that saved me a lot of money. Now I just rotate them in, this month is Netflix-month so I’m catching up on things there f.e.
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This is the way to do it, if you’re not sharing a sub with family members or others.
One other life hack is to jump on a sub service when there is an extremely cheap deal, like $2 a month for 3 months via Amazon Channels offer that happens annually. I don’t know if they have this outside the US, like for MGM+ (formerly Epix) or Starz (Not the Disney thing) or AMC.
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Not a bad way to do it actually.
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I do wonder if the short term squeeze of the hardcore hurts them long term as this just means more and more people will slowly siphon off.
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HEY!!! Stop copying me man!!! lmao
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That is an amazing strategy
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Just read the updated article and I just wanted to have clarity for one thing -
The option to subscribe for a month at $20 and then turn off recurring billing is still available, correct? Or is it now just a 3/6/12 month option? Thanks Jesse.
It’s so easy to just let subs run and tick away money without you noticing really. I took a look at what I paid for vs. what I used and yeah… One service per month is quite enough.
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Best of all is that with the money you’re now saving, you can send me my monthly royalty check for giving you idea years ago. Thanks Mort!! Love you bud!!! lmao 
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I think they have done cost benefit analysis on it. Phil has said a number of times that now people have built up their digital libraries, they are very unlikely to change eco systems. I think they also think that loyal longterm xbox users wont jump ship for that exact same reason, and so they can fuck them over a bit.
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Haha, even a blind chicken etc. etc. 
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Yes. You can still pay more for just 1 month instead of finding deals for longer terms.
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If the main driver for gamepass sign ups is borderline collapsing, you don’t really have a choice but to squeeze as much as you can from your existing consumer base.
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I think a price increase was inevitable. It’s just the way things are in the world. Also, they seem to be expecting a huge number of new subscribers with the partnership with Amazon and expanding of their cloud base. I’m just hoping this extra 3 dollars is used in partnering with services like Nvidia, Boosteroid and the like. Let these partners use their cloud infrastructures in delivering Game Pass cloud.
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I’m not so sure the ‘value’ is quite so linear tbh.
Games aren’t movies. ‘Consuming’ them takes time. If someone for example is really only interested in COD, then paying 18 euros (in France, aka the new price of Ultimate) for a one month rental isn’t exactly a clearly defined ‘great deal’ anymore.
This evidently isn’t exclusive to MS or Gamepass either, i.e. price increases (or gouging tbh) for entertainment is becoming quite egregious. I mean the cost of a single video game (without season pass/battle pass/deluxe stuff etc.) is already 80 euros… which is insane. And consoles aren’t dropping in price either despite the fact the tech is getting old now.
I could write wall of text about all this but I’ll keep this short by focusing on the part which IMO makes my decision as a consumer to really only play discounted older titles so much easier: diminishing returns.
I can pick up a game from 2018 I haven’t played for something like 10 euros & I just don’t see the graphical or gameplay improvements in 2024 titles which justifies the huge price differential. And I believe that’s a problem for the industry, i.e. an industry which needs its customers to be hooked on the latest releases in order to maximise profits.
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Lol as I was on Cdkeys buying some 3 month codes the price went up - guessing either they read the news or there’s so many people buying them they’ve got some automated price adjustments.
I’ve now stacked till end of July 2025 - considered going further but didn’t want to buy more and find they’d already put the 13 month stack limit in place.
Think these changes kind of make sense - the Console tier without online was always an anomaly as it might confuse players, and PC didn’t need online and they’re fighting Steam so is likely to remain excellent value for ages.
Yes it sucks but given how much prices went up for everything in the UK in recent years this doesn’t feel too bad to me
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