In October 2025, Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Core and PC Game Pass for new U.S. members, and the monthly Core plan was reorganized under the name Essential. In April 2026, Xbox cut the monthly prices of Ultimate and PC Game Pass in France. Those are the two dated changes that matter most. Prices have moved since then in some markets, so the October 2025 U.S. figures below describe what changed at that time, not what you pay today.
What changed in the United States in October 2025
Microsoft’s official price-change document for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Core and PC Game Pass (2025) lists the new U.S. prices for new members. Contemporary coverage from WIRED, published in October 2025, reported the monthly U.S. prices for Ultimate and PC Game Pass and explained how the plan names were changing. The two sources use different billing terms and in one case different starting points, so they are easier to read separately.
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Game Pass Ultimate
For a 12-month Ultimate plan, Microsoft’s table lists the current U.S. price as $16.99 and the new-member price as $19.99. For monthly billing, WIRED reported a U.S. increase from $19.99 to $29.99 per month. A reader comparing these numbers should note that the annual and monthly figures are separate prices for separate billing terms, not two steps of the same increase.
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Microsoft’s table lists a 12-month Core plan rising from $59.99 to $74.99 for new U.S. members. Coverage reported in October 2025 said Core was being replaced by a plan called Essential, and that Essential kept Core’s former $9.99 monthly price. If you hold a Core subscription, the plan you see in your account may carry the newer name, so check the plan name against the price you are charged rather than assuming the label has not changed.
#1 Best Overall
![Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – 1 Month Membership – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, Cloud Gaming Devices [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bMCG9v4vL._SL160_.jpg)
- GAME PASS ULTIMATE: Play new games on day one, and enjoy hundreds of high-quality games on console, PC, and cloud. Game Pass Ultimate also includes online console multiplayer, EA Play, and other great member benefits.
- SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: From fast-paced action and adventure to timeless classics, family-friendly games, innovative indie titles, brain-teasing puzzles, immersive roleplaying adventures, and intense shooters. Dive into a world where every gamer can find their next favorite game.
- NEW GAMES ON DAY ONE: Enjoy incredible new games on day one from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision Blizzard, and more. Play The Outer Worlds 2, NINJA GAIDEN 4, and High on Life 2 as soon as they are released.
- ONLINE CONSOLE MULTIPLAYER: Tap into the heart of the Xbox community and join millions of players ready to play together. Online console multiplayer is included with Game Pass Ultimate.
- EA PLAY MEMBERSHIP INCLUDED: Jump into Battlefield, STAR WARS, and other great game franchises with EA Play. Included at no extra cost, members get access to a collection of EA’s best-loved games, in-game rewards, and trials of select new games.
PC Game Pass
Microsoft’s table lists the monthly U.S. PC Game Pass price for new members rising from $9.99 to $11.99. WIRED’s October 2025 reporting gives a different monthly figure: a rise from $11.99 to $16.49. An Xbox store listing for PC Game Pass also showed $16.49, but that listing’s date cannot be relied on to show the price in effect today. The most reliable way to confirm the current U.S. PC Game Pass price is the price shown on Microsoft’s own purchase page at the time you buy.
October 2025 and later U.S. figures in one table
The table below keeps each figure tied to its billing term, market, source and date. Where a source does not state a value, the cell says so.
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- DISCOVER 50+ GAMES — Explore a curated library of more than 50 games playable across XBOX consoles, PC, and supported devices, with new favorites ready to discover.
- PLAY ACROSS YOUR FAVORITE DEVICES — Enjoy included games across supported XBOX consoles, PC, and other compatible devices for more ways to play wherever you are.
- PLAY TOGETHER ONLINE — Connect with friends and communities with online console multiplayer included with XBOX Game Pass Essential.
- STREAM WITH XBOX CLOUD GAMING — Enjoy up to 5 hours of cloud playtime per month and stream supported games to compatible devices with XBOX Cloud Gaming.
- EARN REWARDS WHILE YOU PLAY — Earn Rewards points by playing games, completing eligible activities, and shopping in the Store with your XBOX Game Pass membership.
| Plan | Billing term | Market and member type | Earlier price | Later price | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Pass Ultimate | 12 months | U.S., new members | $16.99 (listed as current) | $19.99 | Microsoft price-change document, 2025 |
| Game Pass Ultimate | Monthly | U.S. | $19.99 | $29.99 | WIRED, October 2025 |
| Game Pass Core | 12 months | U.S., new members | $59.99 (listed as current) | $74.99 | Microsoft price-change document, 2025 |
| Game Pass Core, renamed Essential | Monthly | U.S. | $9.99 | $9.99 kept, per coverage | WIRED, October 2025 |
| PC Game Pass | Monthly | U.S., new members | $9.99 (listed as current) | $11.99 | Microsoft price-change document, 2025 |
| PC Game Pass | Monthly | U.S. | $11.99 | $16.49 | WIRED, October 2025; current status not confirmed here |
| Game Pass Ultimate | Monthly | France | €26.99 | €20.99 | Xbox Wire en Français, April 21, 2026 |
| PC Game Pass | Monthly | France | €14.99 | €12.99 | Xbox Wire en Français, April 21, 2026 |
The rows are not a current price list. The U.S. rows describe October 2025 changes. The France rows describe a reduction announced in April 2026, and they apply only to France.
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Three variables change the number you see, and the reported increases do not all apply to every subscriber in the same way.
Rank #3
- GAME PASS ULTIMATE: Play new games on day one, and enjoy hundreds of high-quality games on console, PC, and cloud. Game Pass Ultimate also includes online console multiplayer, EA Play, and other great member benefits.
- SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: From fast-paced action and adventure to timeless classics, family-friendly games, innovative indie titles, brain-teasing puzzles, immersive roleplaying adventures, and intense shooters. Dive into a world where every gamer can find their next favorite game.
- NEW GAMES ON DAY ONE: Enjoy incredible new games on day one from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision Blizzard, and more. Play The Outer Worlds 2, NINJA GAIDEN 4, and High on Life 2 as soon as they are released.
- ONLINE CONSOLE MULTIPLAYER: Tap into the heart of the Xbox community and join millions of players ready to play together. Online console multiplayer is included with Game Pass Ultimate.
- EA PLAY MEMBERSHIP INCLUDED: Jump into Battlefield, STAR WARS, and other great game franchises with EA Play. Included at no extra cost, members get access to a collection of EA’s best-loved games, in-game rewards, and trials of select new games.
- Billing term. The 12-month and monthly prices for the same plan are set separately. Comparing a monthly price with an annual price, or with a monthly figure from another source, produces a misleading difference.
- Member type. Microsoft’s official table labels the listed Ultimate, Core and PC Game Pass changes as applying to new members. The document, as reported here, does not confirm when or how an existing member’s renewal price moves.
- Market. Microsoft’s 2025 document lists prices by country. A price in one country tells you nothing about another, and the April 2026 French reduction is not a global change.
The April 2026 reduction in France
On April 21, 2026, Xbox Wire en Français announced a reduction in the French price of Game Pass Ultimate, from €26.99 to €20.99 per month, and of PC Game Pass, from €14.99 to €12.99 per month. The post says the change responded to feedback from players. That explanation applies to this French announcement; it is not a general explanation of the 2025 price changes in other markets.
The same post addresses which Call of Duty releases are available to Ultimate and PC Game Pass members in France and when they become available. Readers in France should read the post itself for the detail, since it is the primary statement of those terms.
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- THE PERFECT GAMING GIFT — Buy an XBOX Gift Card for yourself or a friend and let them choose the games, add‑ons, subscriptions, and accessories they want most.
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Team Xbox wrote in that post: «Notre communauté viennent d’un large éventail de régions, de préférences et de styles de jeu ; aucun modèle unique ne peut donc convenir à tout le monde.» The sentence is quoted as published, including the grammatical error in «communauté viennent». A translation, which is ours and not Xbox’s wording, reads: “Our community comes from a wide range of regions, preferences and play styles, so no single model can suit everyone.”
Before you switch, downgrade or cancel
A price increase does not by itself mean you should change plans. Before you act, confirm the following for your own account.
Best Value
- DISCOVER 50+ GAMES — Explore a curated library of more than 50 games playable across XBOX consoles, PC, and supported devices, with new favorites ready to discover.
- PLAY ACROSS YOUR FAVORITE DEVICES — Enjoy included games across supported XBOX consoles, PC, and other compatible devices for more ways to play wherever you are.
- PLAY TOGETHER ONLINE — Connect with friends and communities with online console multiplayer included with XBOX Game Pass Essential.
- STREAM WITH XBOX CLOUD GAMING — Enjoy up to 5 hours of cloud playtime per month and stream supported games to compatible devices with XBOX Cloud Gaming.
- EARN REWARDS WHILE YOU PLAY — Earn Rewards points by playing games, completing eligible activities, and shopping in the Store with your XBOX Game Pass membership.
- Your country. Use the price shown for the country your account is registered in, not a figure from another market.
- Your billing term. Confirm whether you pay monthly or every 12 months, and compare like with like.
- Your plan name. Ultimate, Core or Essential, and PC Game Pass are separate products. Check which one you hold before comparing prices.
- Your renewal date. Find the next renewal date in your Microsoft account’s subscription details. A change in price may take effect at a renewal rather than the day it is announced, so the date tells you when a different price could apply to you.
- The benefits you use. Look at the games and features you actually use on the plan you hold. Assessing whether the plan is worth its price is a decision for each reader.
What this article does not establish
The current U.S. monthly prices for Ultimate, Core or Essential, and PC Game Pass could not be confirmed for this article, and the effective date for existing U.S. subscribers is not stated in the sources available to us. Microsoft’s U.S. Game Pass purchase pages are the authoritative check for current prices. The 2025 figures above are published plan prices, not measurements of how many people paid them or cancelled.
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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.
