Microsoft just released a video showing the changes to the different Game Pass tiers. It’s funny how they forgot to mention the price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Here’s the TL;DR:
- Xbox Game Pass Core is now Xbox Game Pass Essential and includes some PC games and limited cloud streaming (you’ll probably have to wait in a queue). Still $9.99 a month.
- Xbox Game Pass Standard is now Xbox Game Pass Premium and adds more PC games and better cloud streaming access. Xbox-published games will be added about a year after release — except for Call of Duty, of course. Still $14.99 a month.
- PC Game Pass — which isn’t being renamed — is going up from $11.99 a month to $16.49 a month.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate keeps the same name. Cloud streaming is now considered premium, meaning you get faster access and up to 1440p resolution. Ubisoft+ Classics, EA Play, and Fortnite Crew are now included. The price is jumping from $19.99 to $29.99 a month. Wow!! The only retail games we really play are CoD and Halo on Xbox — and with Game Pass Core, that’s about $240 a year, compared to $360 a year with Ultimate. That’s a big difference. Suddenly, PlayStation Plus Premium at $159.99 a year is starting to look like a bargain.
