Xbox Game Pass Ultimate currently costs $22.99 per month in the United States, before applicable taxes. The $29.99 figure refers to Microsoft’s October 1, 2025 price increase, not the current standard rate. Microsoft reduced Ultimate to $22.99 on April 21, 2026, while removing day-one Game Pass availability for future Call of Duty games.
The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price timeline
| Date | U.S. monthly price | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Before October 1, 2025 | $19.99 | Previous standard Ultimate price |
| October 1, 2025 | $29.99 | New subscribers moved to the higher rate |
| October 4, 2025 | $29.99 | Affected existing subscribers began seeing the change |
| April 21, 2026 | $22.99 | Microsoft reduced Ultimate pricing |
| Current U.S. listing | $22.99 | Standard recurring price shown by Xbox |
The 2025 increase was $10 per month, or about 50 percent. Paying monthly for a full year at $29.99 would have cost $360, compared with $239.88 at the former $19.99 rate. The April 2026 reduction lowered the bill by $7 per month from the temporary $29.99 price, but the current rate remains $3 above the pre-increase price. The historical increase and its implementation dates were reported by Tom’s Guide; Microsoft announced the later reduction in its April 2026 Xbox update.
What Ultimate costs now
Xbox’s U.S. purchase page lists Ultimate at $22.99 per month before tax. Twelve monthly payments total $275.88 before tax. The displayed amount can differ because of country, currency, taxes, account-specific promotions, introductory pricing or prepaid time. The official listing is the best current reference: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Some Xbox pages show temporary $1 introductory offers. Those offers are not the normal recurring price and may be limited to eligible customers.
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- TRUE 4K GAMING UP TO 120 FPS — Enjoy breathtaking visuals with true 4K resolution, HDR, and frame rates up to 120 FPS, plus hardware-accelerated ray tracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 1TB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 1TB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF GAMES — Play thousands of games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX, with many titles enhanced for better visuals and performance on XBOX Series X.
What Ultimate includes
- Games for Xbox consoles and PC.
- Cloud gaming on supported devices and in supported regions, with Xbox advertising its highest streaming quality and priority access for Ultimate.
- Online console multiplayer.
- EA Play.
- Fortnite Crew.
- Ubisoft+ Classics.
- In-game benefits, discounts and Rewards benefits.
- Eligible day-one releases, with Call of Duty specifically excluded from the current day-one promise.
Xbox’s marketing is inconsistent about the catalog size: one section of the current page says “500+ games,” while its detailed description says “300+ games.” Treat both as moving estimates rather than a guaranteed total. Libraries vary by platform, region, plan and licensing, and Xbox says titles and availability can change.
The Call of Duty change matters
The lower $22.99 price comes with a significant qualification. Future Call of Duty releases are no longer promised in Game Pass on launch day. Xbox says new entries are expected around the following holiday season, approximately a year after release. Call of Duty games already in the catalog may remain available under the applicable catalog terms.
Rank #2
- What's in the box: Xbox Series X console, 1 Xbox Wireless Controller - Carbon Black, Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, Power cord.
- Equipped with AMD's Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, DirectX ray tracing delivers true-to-life lighting, shadows and accurate reflections to create dynamic, living worlds.
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6 w/320 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6 GB @ 336 GB/s; Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVME SSD
- Gaming Resolution: True 4K; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR; Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
- Bundled with HDMI_Cable
“Day one” also does not mean every Xbox-published game. It applies only to eligible releases, and the current Ultimate page explicitly excludes Call of Duty from that claim. If launch-day Call of Duty access is your main reason for subscribing, you should include the separate cost of buying that game in your comparison.
How Ultimate compares with other U.S. plans
| Plan | Monthly price | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Game Pass Ultimate | $22.99 | Xbox-and-PC players wanting cloud gaming, bundled services and eligible day-one releases |
| Game Pass Premium | $14.99 | Players wanting console and PC access, cloud gaming and selected new games within roughly one year |
| Game Pass Essential | $9.99 | Console players who mainly need multiplayer and a smaller included library |
| PC Game Pass | $13.99 | PC-focused players who do not need console access or console multiplayer |
These are standard monthly U.S. prices shown by Xbox and are before applicable taxes. Features and prices can vary by region.
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- UP TO 120 FPS GAMEPLAY — Enjoy smooth, responsive gaming with frame rates up to 120 FPS, powered by XBOX Velocity Architecture, a custom NVMe SSD, and DirectX Raytracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 512GB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 512GB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF DIGITAL GAMES — Play thousands of digital games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX with backward compatibility. Many titles are enhanced for better visuals and performance. Smart Delivery ensures you always get the best version for your console.
Which plan is the better fit?
Keep Ultimate if you use the bundle
- You regularly play on both Xbox and PC.
- You use cloud gaming and benefit from higher streaming priority.
- EA Play, Fortnite Crew or Ubisoft+ Classics would otherwise cost you separately.
- You need online console multiplayer and want eligible Xbox releases at launch.
Move to Premium if launch-day access is optional
Premium costs $8 less per month than Ultimate and still offers a cross-platform catalog, cloud gaming and online console multiplayer. It is designed for players who can wait for selected new games, which Xbox says arrive within roughly one year.
Choose Essential for the lowest console bill
Essential is $9.99 per month and focuses on a smaller library, cloud gaming, in-game benefits and multiplayer. Free-to-play games do not require a paid Game Pass plan for console multiplayer, so players who mostly play titles such as free-to-play games may not need a subscription at all.
Rank #4
- What's in the box: Xbox Series S 512GB console, 1 Wireless Controller, High Speed HDMI cable.
- CPU: 8X Cores @ 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w/SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU; GPU: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @1.565 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU; SOC Die Size: 197.05 mm2.
- Memory: 10GB GDDR6 128 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 8GB @ 224 GB/s, 2GB @ 56 GB/s.; Internal Storage: 512GB Custom NVME SSD
- Gaming Resolution: 1440p; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
Choose PC Game Pass for PC-only play
PC Game Pass is $13.99 per month and includes the PC catalog, EA Play and eligible day-one releases. It does not provide the console access or console multiplayer benefits of Ultimate. Future Call of Duty releases are also excluded from its day-one promise.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to see your actual renewal charge
- Open Microsoft account Services & subscriptions.
- Locate Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
- Check the next renewal date and listed recurring charge.
- Review whether an introductory offer, prepaid balance or promotional code affects the next bill.
- If you do not want another charge, cancel before the next billing date.
Microsoft’s subscription terms say recurring charges use the then-current regular price, subject to notice and applicable taxes. An active subscription normally renews at the current rate after the required notice. Prepaid access generally continues through its covered period, but account-specific entitlements determine the actual end date. Review Xbox subscription terms for the governing conditions.
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The October 2025 restructuring expanded or emphasized benefits across the tiers, including larger libraries, cloud gaming, in-game benefits, Rewards changes, additional day-one releases, Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics. That explanation comes from contemporaneous coverage rather than a complete public breakdown of Microsoft’s internal financial reasoning. In April 2026, Xbox said the Ultimate price reduction responded to player feedback. Independent reporting described the move as part of a broader strategic shift, but that is analysis rather than a definitive company explanation.
Bottom line for subscribers
Ultimate is $22.99 per month in the U.S. today, not $29.99. It is cheaper than the post-October 2025 rate but still costs more than it did before that increase. The subscription remains strongest for people who use Xbox and PC access, cloud gaming and its bundled services. Premium or Essential can save substantial money if you do not need the largest catalog or launch-day access, while PC Game Pass is the more focused option for PC-only players. Future Call of Duty releases are the key exception to Ultimate’s day-one value.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
