Microsoft is raising the price of its Xbox Live Gold, Xbox’s online service, the company announced Friday. Xbox Live Gold will now cost $ 10.99 a month for a one-month subscription, an increase of $ 1. The three-month subscription will now cost $ 29.99, an increase of $ 5. A six-month pass is up to $ 59.99. Microsoft’s last price increase for Xbox Live Gold was in 2010.
“Periodically, we evaluate the value and price of our services to reflect changes in regional markets and continue to invest in the Xbox community; we will make price adjustments for Xbox Live Gold in certain markets,” Microsoft wrote in its announcement. “In many markets, the price of Xbox Live Gold hasn’t changed in years, and in some markets it hasn’t changed in over ten years.”
Microsoft allows those interested to turn their Gold plans into Game Pass plans. Players who choose to upgrade from Xbox Live Gold to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which allows players to access Gold and Game Pass services, will convert their membership time directly at no additional cost. “For example, if you now have 11 months of Xbox Live Gold and upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, those 11 months become 11 months of Ultimate at no additional cost,” Microsoft said.
While eventually the cost will be higher, there is much more value to make up for it, in case you’re interested in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. For the price of your current Xbox Live Gold subscription, you’ll get access to an online Gold subscription, Game Pass for PC and Windows console, EA Play, and its cloud gaming service, xCloud. After the upgrade, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will cost you $ 14.99 a month. That’s why Microsoft’s latest increase seems to encourage the transition of Xbox Live Gold subscribers to their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
If you are a subscriber who already has a 12 or 6 month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, the price will remain the same for the duration of that subscription; then it will be renewed at the new price. If you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it will be renewed at this price.
Microsoft said existing subscribers will receive an email notification about the price change, noting that prices will not increase “until at least 45 days after receiving the message.