Deciding its wings could melt a bit more, actually, Microsoft determined that too few people had heard Xbox Game Pass prices just jumped by 50% to an eye-watering $30 a month, assuming you want the big day-one games the service is known for, and crowbarred in an ad to inform everyone when they boot up their Xbox.
Reports of an obnoxious startup advertisement emerged on social media, so I booted up my Xbox Series X to confirm. Sure enough, the very first thing you'll see when you load your console is a bold declaration that you can "Get even more with Ultimate," the priciest and most feature-complete Xbox Game Pass tier.
"Starting November 4th, subscription price will update in applicable regions. Click 'View my plan' to learn more," the ad reads. This may be Microsoft's way of meeting some obligation to inform users of pricing and service changes, but even if that is the case, the presentation is as tone-deaf as it gets.
The ad lists "What's new," including:
- Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew coming soon
- 75+ day one releases within 12 months
- Stream games at our best quality
- Play & earn up to 100k Rewards points a year
"Plus enjoy 400+ games, EA Play, and in-game benefits on console, PC, and more," it concludes. Users are prompted with buttons for "Got it," "Explore more," or "View my plan" to proceed.
Notably absent is the detail that Ultimate got the largest price hike and now comes to $360 a year. The value proposition that a Game Pass subscription once offered – play X big new games in a year and it pays for itself while still offering hundreds of older gems – has been eroded to a point that paying for Ultimate is probably a worse deal for many gamers.
Relatively few people will actually play, say, six full-price new releases every year. If you only play a few games annually, you're better off owning them (physically, dare we dream), maybe getting them on sale, or just budgeting a la carte as normal.
It's also worth noting that the reward points bookending this list of exciting new features can no longer be redeemed for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, as Microsoft announced alongside the new pricing.
Many Xbox owners have argued online that the most useful part of this screen-eating prompt is the "View my plan" button, as it leads to a page where you can cancel or downgrade your subscription. They're in good company: Xbox Game Pass cancellations seemingly surged following pricing changes and a post praising "more rewards".
