Microsoft to introduce massive price hike for Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft is introducing a massive price hike for Xbox Game Pass, including the popular Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, in South Africa and other markets around the world.

In South Africa, the price of Game Pass Ultimate will jump by 54.2% from September – from $7.1 to $11/month. The price of Game Pass Core, which provides a more limited experience, will rise from $26/year to $44.1/year, a 66.8% increase.

The price hikes, although introduced in a range of markets around the world, including the US, are particularly severe in South Africa, and come despite an exchange rate that has maintained relative stability versus the euro and the dollar in the past year.

In the US, for example, the price of Game Pass Ultimate will rise by 17.7%, from US$16.99 to $19.99/month. So, although the price increase in the US is significantly smaller than it is in South Africa, South Africans still get a better deal: $19.99/month versus approximately $11/month at the exchange rate of $1 at the time of writing.

Microsoft has also announced changes to the pricing for PC Game Pass in a number of markets, including South Africa. New “members” to PC Game Pass will pay $6.6/month, up from $4.4 previously. That compares to $11.99 in the US, up from $9.99.

A one-month pass to Game Pass Core will rise from $4.4 to $6.6, while a three-month pass goes from $11 to $14 and a six-month pass from $18 to $22.

As a report by The Verge on Wednesday pointed out, the price increases – which kick in from September – come ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and other big first-party Xbox games to Game Pass.

The publication reported that Microsoft is also planning to introduce a new “standard” subscription tier that excludes day-one access to first-party Xbox games. The standard plan will launch in the coming months, but it appears South African pricing is not yet available.