Leak suggests Xbox Game Pass price may soon rise following more expensive consoles and games

With Microsoft raising the cost of consoles and introducing $80 titles, an Xbox Game Pass price increase may be inevitable. Better xCloud is an open-source plugin that enhances game streaming on browsers. Its social media account revealed a discovery on the Xbox Cloud Gaming website. The code for "SubscriptionPriceIncrease" notification could inform gamers about impending changes.

Xbox Cloud streaming isn't available as a standalone subscription, so the message likely applies to Game Pass pricing. The last time Microsoft increased the price of the service was in July 2024. Among the adjustments was the Game Pass Ultimate tier, which rose from $16.99 to $19.99. Other subscription levels, like PC, Standard, and Core, don't offer cloud streaming. Summer has typically been the time when Microsoft delivers its gamers disappointing news.

Most analysts attributed the 2024 Xbox Game Pass price hike to major AAA titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Since then, Microsoft has added many other games that sell for premium prices individually. Day-one Xbox games made available for subscribers include Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Doom: The Dark Ages. Even more noteworthy, The Outer Worlds 2 is an $80 title that will debut in October. When Xbox consoles became more expensive in May, the company warned about costlier first-party games.

A problem Microsoft faces is a slowdown in the number of new Game Pass subscribers. In his LinkedIn profile, an employee recently hinted that totals were similar to 2024. Without an influx of new members, monthly rates may have to rise to account for more big-budget Xbox games.

Declining sales of Xbox consoles also don't help Game Pass grow. Microsoft is counting on Windows gaming handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally to bring the service to a new audience.