The new head of the Xbox department in the company MicrosoftAsha Sharma, hinted at possible changes in the price policy of the Xbox Game Pass service. In an email to employees, she admitted that the current model has become too expensive for users.
In an internal memo, which he came across The VergeSharma states that Xbox Game Pass remains key to Xbox ecosystem. However, she also pointed out that the current model has not been finalized. As he states, in a short period of time the service became “too expensive for players“, which is why it is necessary to find a better price-to-value ratio. In the long term, the plan is to develop Game Pass into a more flexible system, which will require additional testing and customization.
Let’s recall that Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to $29.99 per month last year. That was a growth of even 50% at the time. The company justified the increase with additional benefits and upgrades within the various subscription levels. However, it seems that the higher price affected the perception of users.
BenchmarkWhy did Xbox Game Pass go up in price anyway?
One of the key factors for the price increase was the decision to play games from the series Call of Duty included in the Game Pass offer, which was realized during the summer of 2024. The move has previously raised concerns within the company, as it could affect revenue from direct sales of games.
Meanwhile, there were also speculations that Microsoft might remove Call of Duty from the Game Pass ponude. This was pointed out by journalist Jez Corden from the Windows Central portal, stating that such a scenario is not excluded and that it could point to the shortcomings of the current strategy.
In her address, Sharma referred to the rumors circulating among users about the new price change of the service. She explained that she will share additional information with employees in the coming period. Well, while specific changes aren’t expected right away, it’s clear that Microsoft is considering adjustments to the way Xbox Game Pass works, including the price and structure of the service itself.