New , Premium, and Ultimate tiers replace Core and Standard, with Ultimate and PC Game Pass seeing big price jumps.
Xbox has revealed a new tier system for Xbox Game Pass, introducing , Premium, and Ultimate plans. The reshuffle replaces Core and Standard without raising their costs, but both Ultimate and PC Game Pass are seeing steep price increases.
Here’s the new lineup:
($9.99/month – replacing Core, no increase)
- 50+ games
- Playable on PC, console, and cloud
- Unlimited cloud gaming
- In-game perks (including Riot Games benefits)
- Online console multiplayer
- Earn up to $25 yearly in Store credit through Rewards
Premium ($14.99/month – replacing Standard, no increase)
- 200+ games
- Playable on PC, console, and cloud
- New Xbox-published games within a year (excludes Call of Duty)
- Faster cloud queue times
- In-game perks (including Riot Games benefits)
- Online console multiplayer
- Earn up to $50 yearly in Store credit through Rewards
Ultimate ($29.99/month – up 50% from $19.99)
- 400+ games
- PC, console, and cloud play
- 75+ day-one titles per year, including all Xbox-published games day one
- Ubisoft+ Classics and EA Play included; Fortnite Crew added in November (with Ultimate only)
- Top-tier cloud quality and shortest wait times
- In-game perks (including Riot Games benefits)
- Online console multiplayer
- Earn up to $100 yearly in Store credit through Rewards
PC Game Pass ($16.49/month – up 40% from $11.99, no upgrades)
- Day one releases remain
- Otherwise unchanged
Editor’s Take
This price hike undercuts the long-standing argument that digital distribution should be cheaper than physical. It also risks nudging would-be Game Pass subscribers toward building their own PCs or exploring alternatives outside Xbox’s ecosystem. For the sake of ownership and utility, I personally recommend doing so anyway.
