Microsoft hiked the prices of Xbox Game Pass plans and expanded the offerings of each tier in October.
PC Game Pass offers day-one access to new games
Photo Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is reportedly considering further streamlining its Game Pass subscription offerings by merging PC Game Pass and Game Pass Premium tiers. The Xbox parent has made a number of changes to its game subscription service over the past year, introducing new plans and hiking prices across tiers.
In October, Microsoft announced sweeping changes to Xbox Game Pass, replacing Game Pass Core and Standard tiers with “upgraded” Essential and Premium plans and hiking the price of Game Pass Ultimate, the highest tier of the subscription service. The company added PC support to all Game Pass tiers and hiked the price of the dedicated PC Game Pass tier, which still offers access to day-one releases.
It seems now Microsoft is exploring further simplifying its subscription offerings for PC players. According to a report in The Verge covering Microsoft's plans for Xbox in 2026, the company is considering merging Game Pass Premium with PC Game Pass (via VGC).
With Game Pass Essential, Premium, and Ultimate tiers bringing access to PC games, a dedicated PC Game Pass tier, which priced higher than Essential and Premium tiers, only stands out for granting day-one access to new games. Merging the PC-dedicated tier with Premium tier further simplifies Game Pass offerings considering the next Xbox console is likely to essentially be a PC running Windows. In that scenario, PC Game Pass would end up undercutting the higher priced Game Pass Ultimate tier.
According to the report, Game Pass is not likely to see any major changes in 2026. Microsoft is also reportedly planning on further expanding Game Pass offerings by bundling third-party services with Game Pass subscriptions. The Xbox parent already offers third-party services like Ubisoft+ Classics, EA Play, and Fortnite Crew with Game Pass.
Game Pass has gone through a revamp in recent times, with Microsoft hiking prices and introducing new plans in October. Game Pass Core and Standard tiers were replaced by Essential and Premium plans, respectively. The company also expanded the offerings of each tier, most notably bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to all Game Pass plans.
Last month, a report claimed that the company was planning to launch a separate free ad-supported tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming, which would allow users to access cloud playable games without a Game Pass subscription. The free Cloud Gaming plan will reportedly launch sometime this year.
All Game Pass plans now support Cloud Gaming
Photo Credit: Microsoft
Right now, Game Pass Essential, the cheapest plan, offers a library of over 50 games playable across PC, Xbox consoles, Windows handhelds, and other supported devices, alongside the ability to stream games via Xbox Cloud. In India, this plan is priced at Rs. 499 a month.
The Game Pass Premium plan, priced at Rs. 699 a month, comes with a library of over 200 games and grants access to select new games within one year of launch, in addition to cloud streaming support.
PC Game Pass, priced Rs. 939 a month, offers access to hundreds of PC games and new games on day one. It also includes titles bundled with EA Play.
The highest tier, Game Pass Ultimate, comes with a library of over 500 games, day-one access, Cloud support, Ubisoft+ Classics, EA Play, and Fortnite Crew. The plan is priced at Rs. 1,389 a month.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.