Game Pass was too cheap for everything he offered. The problem is that Microsoft thought the same

Microsoft has just confirmed what many players were smelling us: GAME PASS RAISES PRICE. It has not been an anecdotal increase or first in the United States to tote the land, How do other streaming platforms do: Game Pass has arrived (almost) Without warning.

The XBOX subscription game service has been segmented for some time in three categories that give us access to different services and a variable number of games and, after the increase that We already experienced a year agoMicrosoft has raised the price again. The problem is that if in 2024 Game Pass Ultimate, which is the subscription that gives us access to more content, It rose from 14.99 euros to 17.99 euros, now it goes from that amount to 26.99 euros.

It is an appreciable climb, as if Microsoft had realized that the service was too “cheap.”

Game Pass Ultimate rises 50%

“The Netflix of Video Games.” Since Microsoft launched Game Pass, many of us described it that way. Although now we can play directly for streaming in almost any devicein its beginnings we had to download the games. There was a catalog that opened through the subscription, but it was not really the ‘netflix of video games’.

Over the years, Microsoft was adding services such as cloud game, Game Pass for PC or streaming transmission of some games on our property.

Apart from being able to access their games from the launch without additional cost, they began to launch games from other publishers and companies, also without an added cost. This year, two heavyweights like ‘Silksong‘ either ‘Clair Oscur: Expedition 33‘They launched from the first day in Game Pass.

The service became increasingly round and the price did not increase or did it very little. It was a service too good to be trueespecially seeing competition limitations (PlayStation Plus) or the price of a GeForce Now that gives access to a cloud hardware, but that demands that we buy each game individually.

In 2023, Xbox ended with Xbox Live Gold To integrate your online game system in Game Pass, creating divisions within the service:

• Game Pass Core for 6.99 euros – online game and a small selection of accessible games.
• Game Pass Standard for 10.99 euros – online game and a wide selection of games (more than 300 titles)
• Game Pass Ultimate For 14.99 euros – online game, more than 500 games in console, Game Pass of PC and launches from day 1

Although last year prices rose At 12.99 euros for Standard and 17.99 euros for Ultimate, Microsoft seems to have realized that it was offering an excellent service at an price that did not square with the market.

And that’s over.

In that table we can see the updated prices with an essential – he substitutes the core – which is what, now, goes up two euros; A premium that remains and an ultimate that is the one that experiences the biggest climb: nine euros. Until before writing these lines, the 18 euros of Game Pass contrasted with what we see in one of the main services of the competition: GeForce Now.

There are some Newssuch as the addition of Ubisoft+ Classics to the ‘Tier’ ultimate or that the players who pay the most will have a better quality when playing for streaming, a difference with premium that did not exist before. Also more advantages in Microsoft Rewards.

In the Nvidia service we have a great streaming game experience, but at a price of 21.99 euros and having to buy games on platforms like Steam. The great game of Game Pass Ultimate was that you paid those 18 euros and you could play for streaming to the available games, but also download them on your console or PC without paying anything else.

With the new price of 26.99 euros, Game Pass Ultimate becomes the most premium option, far from the proposal of Nvidia or the most expensive subscription of PlayStation Plusthat of 16.99 euros, and definitely the culmination of the dreaded “is so good that it seems a lie.” In fact, the increase of three euros a year ago seemed to little taking into account that they were going to start putting everything they had bought from Activision-Blizzard, The macrooperation of 68.7 billion dollars.

The Great “But” is Game Pass’s hook

Despite the remarkable increase of nine euros per Game Pass UltimateMicrosoft has an ace in the sleeve (which, in turn, is what makes this change possible). Game Pass Ultimate is a service that has no competitionprecisely, for everything we have commented:

• Contending games to be the best of the year from day one and without additional cost.
• Games developed by Microsoft, such as’Indiana Jones and the big circle‘or the future’ Forza Horizon 6 ‘.
• Online game.
• Download games or streaming game without having an Xbox (on TV, the Fire TV Stick, the PC, the Tablet or on the mobile).

There is no service that offers that variety and newly launched games, and it is what allows Microsoft to try to squeeze the pocket of the players more. The problem is that it is not the only one who is trying.

Every short time we see that streaming music and video services their rates also increase And, in a scenario in which all are betting on streaming and digital (content that does not belong to users Being simple use licenses) and competing for our timeit remains to ask when a price will rise so much that the user will decide to start discharging the other services he pays.

Because Game Pass Ultimate continues to offer great value as a service (and with Ubisoft+ Classics It is even better), but with those nine euros of upload you were not so much paid one or two video/music services per month. In the advertisement, the reactions They are not being good.

And, although it still seems like a great service, 320 euros a year is already a considerable investment.

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