Title says it all. It was announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will go from $19.99 to $29.99, though with a few added perks like access to Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft Classics. This comes after two console price increases this year and an attempt to rise game prices to $80 (though that was walked back pretty quickly).

How are you feeling about Xbox after this? Will you keep your subscription? I personally feel like $30 a month still holds value, but this is a poorly timed move by Microsoft. It also sort of feels like a way to make up for games staying $70, but that's pure speculation.

I understand prices need to increase but, even if it's still a decent value, Microsoft is not making this move at a time where they're in a position of strength right now.

As someone how is currently in the process of getting new gaming systems/upgrading things and therefore is looking at things like this I feel like $30 has value as long as they don't raise game prices. The price increase itself isn't enough to deter me, but if they come down the line in a couple of months and somehow still raise prices I'll be annoyed (and that would definitely feel like a bad move that would make me rethink Xbox across the board.)

I'm a bit on the fence about this. On one hand, no one likes seeing prices go up, especially when the current standard has been in place for a while. On the other hand, there are additional perks being added, so it's not like the increase comes without any benefit.

Overall, I think I land somewhere in the middle. I can see both sides of the change. The timing definitely could have been better sorted, though. From a public perception viewpoint, this was a questionable choice by Microsoft.

See? That right there is why I'm PS5 now.

With game prices going up, $30 a month is still more affordable than buying new games... provided you actually play enough games a month to justify it. I used to have Game Pass for PC even though we're a PS5/Switch household mostly. But I cancelled not long ago because I wasn't using it enough, and this makes it less likely I'm going back unless there are several games I really want to play on offer. With the console price increases and the move away from Xbox console exclusives already leaving many folks frustrated this year, this does feel like a puzzling move optics-wise.

It's a bad move given the ire Xbox (and Microsoft at large) has garnered as of late. It also seems designed to subsidize adding Call of Duty to Game Pass, something the July 2024 price hike also seemed to be doing. Also I wouldn't be surprised if the temperate has been turned up at Xbox to be extra profitable given all the billions Microsoft is wasting on AI right now.

PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium is certainly the best value in gaming now.

Unfortunately, I jumped off the boat with this price hike. I don't have enough time for gaming to justify the new subscription price. While price adjustments are expected, a 50% rise is huge.