Death by a thousand cuts. I’ve said this phrase so many times over the past few years, and now Microsoft is adding to the problem. Xbox Game Pass price hikes have led to outrage from gamers internationally, and frankly I get it.
The Price of Playing
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s gaming subscription service, often described as the “Netflix of games”.
Instead of buying games one by one, you pay a monthly fee and get access to a rotating library of hundreds of Xbox and PC titles, including big-name releases from Xbox Game Studios that arrive on launch day. One of the big drawbacks being that you never actually own anything other than temporary access to games.
Microsoft has just updated its Game Pass offering to have three new pricing tiers:
- Essential priced at €8.99 per month (Previously Game Pass Core – €2 increase)
- 50+ games on Xbox and PC, game streaming, console multiplayer
- Premium priced at €12.99 per month (Previously Game Pass Standard – same price)
- 200+ games, early access to Xbox Published Games, console multiplayer
- Ultimate priced at €26.99 per month (€9 increase)
- 400+ games, day one access to Xbox Published Games, EA Play and Ubisoft+ access, console multiplayer
- PC Only priced at €14.99 per month (€3 increase)
- 100’s of PC games, day one access to Xbox Published Games, EA Play
Now, it’s great. Some of my favourite games have launched on Game Pass including Cities Skylines 2, Flight Simulator and Doom: The Dark Ages, along with with Starfield also being a day one release. But Starfield was a bit crap to be honest. Recently, Hollow Knight: Silksong released as a headline game included with Ultimate alongside forthcoming The Outer Worlds 2.
Now, I’m a PC gamer with a PlayStation 5. At €17.99 per month, I could about justify this membership. There were a few console games I wanted access to which justified the little bit extra. But now, at the very least I’ll be dropping back to PC Only.
Game Pass Ultimate jumping to €26.99 from €17.99 marks a 50% increase in pricing. Frankly, a ridiculous increase from Microsoft that console gamers shouldn’t stand for that sees the annual cost of Game Pass Ultimate rise from €216 to €324.
Cancelling Game Pass: The Alternatives
I’ve never felt the loss of Gamestop in Ireland so much as right now. I’m turning into one of those “cash is king” types, but for games. I recently had a bit of a clear out and realised I could get myself some new tech in CEX if I traded in for vouchers instead of cash.
I’ve had a long held dislike for CEX but this time the maths checked out somewhat. I got myself a ROG Ally and Nintendo Switch 2. Then I realised I needed some Switch 2 games. They are pricey on Nintendo’s store, so I spent my last bit of voucher on Zelda. I specifically bought the Switch 2 version because it has a higher trade in value than buying the original Switch version and paying for the upgrade pack.
What I was realising all through this is that the convenience of downloading digital games is only convenient as long as there’s a great price, deal or subscription that covers your access.
Game Pass used to be that subscription for me, and for many others. But the price now is just ridiculous.
Realistically, what alternatives are there?
Buy Keys Elsewhere
Well, at €26.99 per month, casual gamers will see value in buying games outright. At €80 per game, every three months you could be buying a brand-new game, unless dipping into the second hand market.
Another popular avenue are key websites. Loaded, formerly CD Keys, is where I buy a lot of game codes. They are typically cheaper than direct from Microsoft or Steam, and work just as well. I’ve noticed one thing you lose is the free two hours of gameplay to ensure you like the game and it runs well on Steam.
As I’ve mentioned, Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of the flagship games for Game Pass right now. The game itself will set you back €19.99 from Microsoft. You can get a key from Loaded for just €16.29.
This is an approach I’ll certainly keep. But I still don’t love it. This still isn’t ownership. In theory, you can lose digital access to these games after spending hundreds of Euros on them, however unlikely.
Set Sail the Seven Seas
I’m not actually encouraging this at all. Illegally torrenting games is bad for game studios, indie developers, the gaming industry in general and, quite possibly, for your PC health. It’s also not an option for console gamers without in-depth modding.
However, it’s an option that Microsoft has pulled back into the fray with their pricing. Spotify, controversial as it is for many reasons, not least of which is how they pay artists, essentially stopped music piracy overnight. The value and convenience of streaming music legally suddenly became the better choice to piracy.
With these new pricing tiers, Microsoft will increase the number of people illegally downloading games, whether that fact is liked or not. Now, while some will say “if buying doesn’t mean owning, pirating isn’t stealing”, and I do understand this sentiment. But still, I just can’t see this being the alternative the average gamer will turn to.
Physical Game Purchasing
My new Switch 2 has given me renewed appreciation for physical games. That game I bought in CEX and Mario Kart from Amazon, means I have two games that I can play and then trade in if I want. That gives me long term value in my collection.
Now, I most likely won’t trade them in, but it gives me the feeling, as a consumer, that I have a little bit more power.
Personally, I think this is why so many people are furious at Microsoft. Years of buying game studios and absorbing loved gaming brands and titles now means many beloved titles are behind a massive pay wall.
Of the three options I’ve laid out here, I can see myself running Game Pass PC Only for a few months, while I start to consider purchasing more games outright with keys from third parties.
Move to PlayStation 5
Jumping from Xbox to PC is quite the leap. Moving from Xbox to PlayStation 5 is considerably easier. The PlayStation 5 is usually cheaper right now, and significantly cheaper to run monthly. The PlayStation equivalent of Game Pass Ultimate is €13 per month, making it a very interesting alternative.
Death by a Thousand Cuts
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. This is death by a thousand cuts.
Monthly subscriptions are out of hand. YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, gaming, AI platforms, banking and more, all need subscriptions. The monthly outgoings are so incredibly splintered that it’s harder and harder to tell how much we’re all spending every month and, perhaps more importantly, if we’re getting enough value back in return.
Ever-increasing subscription costs are driving people back to physical media. The likes of charity shops and CEX will see massive runs on people buying games and movies, with ownership of actual media growing in popularity. I can also see this being a death knell for console gaming in general.
Building a gaming PC is generally quite a decent concept right now. While there’s significant up front cost, over time, a PC gamer will spend significantly less overtime.
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