Microsoft has recently announced a significant price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, raising it from $20 to $30 per month. This change has caused a stir in the gaming community, with the associated joke being “Xbox 360 dollars per year.” The real question now is whether this service still offers good value for the higher price.
Currently, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes access to all Microsoft-first party games upon release, along with EA Play, Ubisoft Classics, and soon, Fortnite Crew. When you tally up the individual costs of these subscriptions, they add up to around $264 annually, which shakes out as somewhat attractive against the $360 yearly price of Game Pass—if users take full advantage of these extras.
Examining the additional subscriptions, Ubisoft Classics provides a standard PC tier at $7.99 per month, but the Xbox-accessible premium tier costs $17.99 per month. Xbox claims this equates to a $15.98 monthly value due to availability on both PC and Xbox, yet the game offerings are reduced to standard editions rather than the expansive selection available through Ubisoft’s Premium service.
EA Play is simpler, offering a $5.99 monthly rate that includes 10-hour trials on new games and unlimited access to popular EA titles. However, the standalone versions typically provide discounts on EA titles, which Game Pass does not appear to offer post-price hike.
When it comes to Fortnite Crew, the benefits sound compelling at first glance: a year-long access to all battle passes, 1,000 V-Bucks per month, and unique crew outfits. But, many of the rewards are lackluster, consisting of generic items rather than exciting collaborations. The calculation for value here is tricky; you need to invest significant time to make Crew subscription worthwhile.
From a purely Microsoft perspective, Game Pass delivers a strong lineup at launch, featuring upcoming titles like Avowed, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and other major releases. However, the total value becomes subjective depending on the games each person actually plays.
According to a study by Circana, most U.S. gamers only purchase two new games per year, which raises questions about whether spending $360 yearly provides genuine value when many gamers are used to a different buying pattern. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee from Microsoft that future offerings will remain robust.
Ultimately, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate may offer incredible value if used solely in place of other services. However, many gamers utilize a mix of platforms, making the new price feel excessive. Previously, Game Pass was viewed as an unbeatable deal; now, it stands as an option with more complex value calculations.
