Xbox CEO Asha Sharma believes that Xbox Game Pass has become too expensive. In a message sent to Xbox Employees, the new head of Xbox admitted that the service isn’t the best deal for players.
First reported by The Verge, Sharma suggests that Microsoft needs to find “a better value equation” for the service.
“Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one,” Sharma wrote via The Verge. “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.”
What Xbox could be planning for the service is currently unknown, but there’s been no shortage of speculation.
Recently, there have been rumors of new Xbox Game Pass tiers coming to the service. One specific one seemingly included only first-party games. There’s also been a rumor suggesting that Call of Duty may no longer come to the service day-and-date. What hasn’t been suggested or speculated on, at least yet, is the idea that Microsoft just lowers the price of Game Pass.
Less than a year ago, Microsoft announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing was going up by 50%. Other plans, such as Game Pass PC, also saw a significant monthly price increase.
Do you think Xbox Game Pass is too expensive? What do you believe is a fair price for the service? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and in this official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read about the new Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Remake leak that confirms new content is coming to the game. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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Yes, it is too expensive – I ended up cancelling the 3 separate accounts we had in our home and buying the few games we actually like playing. We only have one Xbox console, so we used the service on PC. Now, instead of buying games through Microsoft, we buy them through our Steam accounts.
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It’s too expensive make it cheaper dawg
I did absolutely the same. Cancelled my Game Pass which by the way I had for years but therer is a difference between value & greed. This was a major mistake by Xbox not sure if they wanted to recover ASAP the recent acquisition but you cant milñk your loyan fan base without receiving payback. It was well deserved by me and probably hundreds of thousands of other players
Way too expensive. They need to bring back gold and also make it to where you can pay for a whole year upfront at a discounted rate like gold used to be. I have so many games i cannot even play anymore because I can’t afford the game pass subscription. Games that I got free from games with gold
If Microsoft allows their Xbox business model to continue along the current path it’s on, we are going to see more and more Xbox users switch to Steam.
With the next generation of Xbox gaming being the “Project Helix”, they’ll be in direction competition with Valve’s Steam Machine. I don’t think they’ll stand a chance without reconsidering how they profit off their user base.
Of course it’s too expensive, How are you gonna go from 59.99 a year to $360 if you buy ultimate. Before you could get COD for free if you had any game pass, now it’s moved to ultimate only. on the lowest end it doubles to $120 a year. Microsoft, stop being greedy!!
Typical pandering from an annoying millennial. All talk and nothing grts done just like Phil. The annoying mostly wrong insiders are back so my guess she had a meeting or contact with Speshal Nick, Jez, and Grubb. Expect no positive change under her. She has no idea what she is doing and previous regime ruined it so bad Phil and Sarah as well as Aaron and Matt who both still work there. They needed a real gaming exec and to actually let that person run the division. Bobby would have done a better job or less controversial Andrew House.
Oh stop being a see you next Tuesday. This is a good step
They need a family plan. Up to so many accounts for a better deal.
Yes it is too expensive. The original pricing model was reasonable especially given how many people subscribe to the service.
Quit ultimate when it went up to $20. Glad I did. As a busy adult with a life and career playing only on the weekends I could not justify the price increase. Then it went to $30!! Surprised anyone was still subscribed. Better off buying what you really play. The industry has gotten too greedy when there are multiple platforms to play on and many other options to save money.
Well, duh, it’s too expensive. Gamepass only lost like 50% of it’s sub base because of their 50% price increase. That was Satya Nadella and Amy Hood smokin’ rocks and demanding money out of Xbox that Playstation and Nintendo don’t pull as the leaders in the console space, so it was ridiculous and poorly considered. If Sharma actually gets things done, I’d be cautiously optimistic. Gamepass could be real easy. Family plan would be a hot seller if priced correctly, and a mix & match program where we can add Ubislop Classics and Fortnite Crew and Rocket League stuff *if we want to*, not being forced to pay for stuff most of us don’t use. Ubi Classics are routinely on sale so cheap that we can buy all those games in a single sale for less than one month of GP Ultimate. So yeah, there’s room for flexibility. Gamepass Ultimate at $15 a month or even $20 a month? Totally doable and we loved it.
Oh now they want to complain about Gamepass being too expensive? Was the mass cancellation not a fucking sign? Fuck off, they did this to themselves
there’s no way to justify that cash grab other than pure greed… I’m offended as a day one xboxer, and this off the charts betrayal has a life long xboxer now likely making the investment to switch PC for Steam or whatever comes of the steambox, instead of further investing in whatever captive schemes Microsoft has planned in Q3 2027… no thanks.
No shit.
What gave it away?
Trying to find the next Plandemic27
Yes too damn expensive infused to get ultimate every month but now at $30 thats a strong no. Wr are paying more and owning less. Xbox is thought you were better than this
It seriously took her this long to realize that? The entire Xbox gaming world made it pretty clear that jacking up the price of Game Pass was a non-starter that would lead to a mass-exodus, and thats exactly what happened, so playing it off like Sharma suddenly had an epiphany is ridiculous. What they should’ve done from the jump was stop automatically including Game Pass PC with Ultimate and make a cheaper option without it. That and/or give players an option that doesn’t include COD.
Well shes new, she has only been in for a few months
Its way to expensive they dont offer enough. When I seen it go up 50% I went to no membership it should be 9.99 a month not have all the stupid other memberships like gold is just gold quit trying to make so much money off the players it’s ridiculous to ask 30.00 a month just for that down right stupid if all Xbox players just canceled it they would drop the price cause in the end they need our monthly membership cost we dont need them and they should figure that out
$15-$20 would be a better way to go
Yes, too expensive. Especially for a person on disability and a limited income.
Go back to a yearly subscription 60 to 70 dollars period.
Like everyone else i totally agree that the price now is pure greed and I am paying for junk I just dont want…I bought a 12 month pass just before the price hike..I wont be paying again when it runs out.iI am even considering moving on to a PlayStation now..I have been on xbox since day 1 ..I bought my children and my grandchildren an xbox..I bought the latest models as soon as they appeared ..but now if GPU is not reduced soon they all be going up into the attic and new machines will be taking there place…like everything..u get greedy and u lose..
I use cdkeys now to get cheaper game pass, 3 months for $60 is what I get
Yes it’s too expensive. I’m a single gamer mom. I won’t be able to get the new system.. at least not for several years. Games are too expensive. Memberships too expensive, even all the streaming apps are upping their price.. I have gaming kids it’s an expensive hobby for everyone. Yes we console share but that doesn’t get to include everybody.. I’m not buying multiple games for us all to play with each other. And of course my Xbox One s is running like crap and green screening.. but you know what that means ready for a new console that I can’t buy.
Invest in a decent gaming PC and buy games off steam. There’s a massive selection of games on PC that you won’t find on consoles. Also, you don’t have to buy a membership for online play. You just pay your internet and buy the game and you’re good! Buying a gaming PC for around 800 bucks was the best thing I’ve ever bought when it comes to gaming devices/electronics. It changes everything. I canceled my Xbox subscription easy because I knew I could fall on my PC.
They lost a lot of trust n loyalty. I bought the series X 2 weeks before the price hike. Cancelled n havnt turn the X on since. Already had ps5 and switch. These people are not that smart. Should’ve corrected that mistake ages ago
Indeed. I was a loyal subscriber for over a decade before the price hike. I didn’t bother to (and don’t plan to) renew it again. It’s daylight robbery!
Let me be the one millionth person to say “Well, DuH.”
I canceled Gamepass and went with the option that simply allows me to play multi-player only. When it was 15$? I would dabble, play games I wouldn’t have otherwise. But modern games don’t really command my excitement. Maybe I’m just aging out? I figured. But from what I’m hearing online, I’m not the only one who feels this way. I played Deluxe Jeopardy on my SNES (which I’ve had since… 92?), it was great. We laughed and had fun. New stuff doesn’t do anything like that for me. And, SAME Super Nintendo from the 90’s. Can’t tell you how many Xboxes/Playstations and their controllers I’ve had burn out on me in the last 25 years. Gaming’s value proposition as a whole, is laughable now. No, I won’t be buying a new poorly built over priced console that barely does anything to push the envelope, featuring games that are not memorable in any way.
The industry can get it together or I’ll just keep my money. Thanksabunch.
It should be the way it used to be id say 60 a year plain and simple
I haven’t been online for a few years now as I was always too busy to play it. but few weeks ago when I decided to go back to it, I found that xbox had done away with the simple xbox live membership. I DONT want an expensive game pass because I DONT want to play the bang average games on their catalogue. its NOT worth it to me. I just want to play online with mt mates on the games i own 🤷♂️
Bring back the 12 month xbox gold for those that aren’t interested in playing the average games please
Considering im paying like 70 a month for the ultimate for my sons account and nephews account instead of 40..yeaaa too fukin expensive!! Nothing but GREED!! When your a multi million dollar company..us single parents trying to survive arent!! Do BETTER!!
Yes it’s way to expensive hence y i buy games and game pass ultimate from 3rd party users get them at a fraction of the price
I canceled my subscription quick as heck, knowing I could fall and rely on my PC. Being a loyal Xbox member doesn’t mean crap. This is what we get for playing on their consoles since the first ever Xbox. Everybody canceling their memberships is what they get for trying to squeeze us out of more money. Like putting us through the juicer.
Of course it is too expensive, but we all know they won’t reduce the price! It actually wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to bundle something else into it and increase the price again, and try to tell us it is better value and want us all to just accept it!
I have been a Xbox gamer since day 1..Never let my gold expire..Then they up it to $30 a month and i let my gold expire and haven’t turned my console on since..Just goes to show money is stronger than loyalty..I am disabled and Xbox was my only real enjoyment..So thanks you greedy pricks !!! Stick your $30 membership straight up your ass..
Yeah I miss buying 3 months for $60 now they got rid of all those cards from everywhere it sucks haven’t renewed it since