2 min readMicrosoft has announced that the monthly price of its Netflix-style gaming subscription is getting more expensive from July 6 2023.
The cost of a standard Xbox Games Pass membership is going up from $10.95 per month to $11.95 per month while the price of Xbox Games Pass Ultimate is jumping from $15.95 per month to $18.95 per month.
Those increases don't sound huge on paper, but those few extra dollars each month can add up quickly at a time when Aussies are facing increased pressures around the cost of living.
Those who are subscribed to an annual plan for either of the above tiers won't be charged under the new pricing until their next renewal.
Local pricing for Microsoft's PC Games Pass is staying put at $10.95 per month.
Australian pricing for the Xbox Series X gaming console is also slated to rise.
From August onwards, Microsoft's most powerful gaming console yet will retail from $799 rather than the previous $749. That price hike puts it in line with Sony's PlayStation 5, which rose to $799 in 2022.
While an increase in the cost of Games Pass isn't exactly good news, it's not all that surprising. Microsoft has been teasing a potential price rise for the subscription service since late last year.
Speaking at last year's WSJ Tech Live conference in October, Microsoft head of Xbox Phil Spencer began to lay the groundwork for this month's price hike by suggesting that such a move might not be all that far off.
