Microsoft Gaming CEO May Change Game Pass Subscription Prices

According to a new report from The Information, Asha Sharma plans to revamp Xbox Game Pass tiers and pricing to make them more affordable. The report claims she has ambitions to make “future consoles and products like Game Pass more enticing to a broader range of customers.” Additionally, it suggests that Sharma has been in talks with Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters about a potential partnership between the two companies, specifically involving subscription bundles. “You would have to do it in a way that works for the consumer and works for both companies, and frankly, I think Microsoft’s still trying to figure out how to make the Game Pass bundle work for Microsoft,” said Peters. “But what I like about Asha’s thinking is, it’s all about, ‘How do we do more?’ And it’s already been exciting to watch.”

According to a recent report from The Verge by Tom Warren, Microsoft is allegedly in the “early stages of exploring ways” to expand Game Pass. This reportedly includes combining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, a claim also corroborated by Windows Central. The report further states that Microsoft plans to add more services and third-party benefits to the subscription. As a result, another price increase is likely, particularly since PC Game Pass was the only tier left untouched after the service was revamped.

Details for the service’s most recent update:

Essential ($9.99 per month) – Replacing Core, no price increase

• Over 50 Games
• Now 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 per month) – Replacing Standard, no price increase

• Over 200 games
• Now playable on PC, console, and cloud
• New Xbox published games within a year of launch (excludes Call of Duty titles)
• 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 per month) – Price increased by 50 percent from $19.99 per month

• Over 400 games
• Playable on PC, console, and cloud
• Over 75 day one games a year, including all Xbox published games day one
• Ubisoft+ Classics and EA Play included, with Fortnite Crew coming in November (requires Game Pass Ultimate)
• Unlimited cloud gaming at our 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
• PC Game Pass ($16.49 per month) – Prince increased by 40 percent from $11.99 per month
• Same features as before / no upgrades

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