Microsoft surprised fans with increases to its Xbox Game Pass memberships on Oct. 1, including a $10 price hike to its most expensive tier that already cost $20.
While you may be worried that you’ll have to pay $30 a month to enjoy access to hundreds of digital games, EA titles and select new games on launch day, you can avoid the steep price by ordering an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month gift card for $60.
Microsoft revamped each tier of the membership, updating two of the names, their prices and their benefits. While the highest tier — Ultimate — kept its name, its price jumped from $20 to $30, causing widespread criticism.
The updated prices went into effect for new members on Oct. 1 while existing members will see it in their next bill by Nov. 4 in the U.S. and U.K. Microsoft delayed the increase for current subscribers with an auto-recurring plan in a several countries, including Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Poland and India, “likely due to local regulations on subscription price changes,” according to The Verge.
Here are all the price increases for Xbox Game Pass:
You can find all the upgraded perks for each tier here.
Although many gamers may be considering jumping ship, there’s an alternative way to save: Amazon, Walmart and GameStop have a 3-month membership gift card for Xbox Ultimate Game Pass for $60.
This means you’re paying for three months of the membership for the price of two, saving you $30. In the long run, you can save up to $120 per year by stacking four gift cards.
But it’s important to remember that you can extend your subscription to a maximum of 36 months in all countries where it’s available by redeeming digital codes or gift cards. Because of this, it’s best to spread out these gift cards and plan accordingly while scoring some savings.
Also, you’d have to turn off the auto-recurring setting on your plan.
While the price increase is steep, you’re still getting some added benefits:
over 400 games that you can play on PC, console and the cloud
over 75 Day 1 games
Ubisoft+ Classics games
EA Play games
Fortnite Crew starting in November 2025
unlimited and enhanced Xbox Cloud Gaming with streaming quality up to 1440p and short wait times
online console multiplayer
in-game benefits, including Riot Games
play and earn up to $100 per year in the Xbox Store with Rewards
If you’d prefer to switch to another tier that’s more affordable for you, you can also purchase gift cards for up to 12 months to save throughout the year.
Amazon and Walmart have a $30 deal on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships
