Xbox has been seeing some interesting shake-ups ever since Asha Sharma took the helm of Microsoft’s gaming division. Of course, this includes the introduction of Project Helix, along with other notable changes such as the scrapping of “This is an Xbox” branding. The next big thing might be dishing out price cuts to the popular Game Pass service.

After price hikes last October, a poll we ran suggested that the majority of our readers had cancelled or planned to cancel their Xbox Game Pass subscription, with the new Premium and Essential tiers failing to impress, likely due to their lack of day-one titles. A leaked memo from Sharma now reveals that the new CEO believes the service “has become too expensive”.

Microsoft seems to be reconsidering Xbox Game Pass pricing

According to a report from The Verge, Asha Sharma believes Microsoft needs “a better value equation” for Game Pass, which is currently priced at $29.99/month for the top Ultimate tier – notably the only console tier that provides new games on day one. Xbox regularly adds new titles to the service, but players on the lower Premium and Essential tiers will have to wait to play brand-new releases. There’s also the PC-only tier, which also enjoys the benefit of day-one games.

Current pricing in the U.S.

• Ultimate – $29.99/month
• Premium – $14.99/month
• Essential – $9.99/month
• PC – $16.49/month

“Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one. Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around.”

Asha Sharma’s leaked memo, via The Verge

It’s believed that the price hikes last October were directly related to the addition of the latest Call of Duty games to the service, which were added to the service in the summer of 2024 ahead of Black Ops 6 that same year.

The memo from Sharma also refers to “online chatter” about rumored Game Pass price changes; she adds that she’ll go “deeper” into the issue with Xbox employees next week. Another rumor we heard a couple of years ago suggested that Microsoft might merge its PC Game Pass with a regular console tier, though there has been no related discussion since.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.