New Xbox Chief Asha Sharma Says Game Pass Has Become 'Too Expensive for Players'

Xbox chief Asha Sharma is likely reconsidering Game Pass pricing and offerings. In a recent internal memo sent to staff, the new Microsoft Gaming CEO reportedly said that Xbox Game Pass had become “too expensive” for players. Sharma's comments on Xbox's game subscription service comes a few months after Microsoft hiked the price of Game Pass Ultimate by 50 percent.

Xbox Boss Says Game Pass is 'Too Expensive'

In the memo, seen by The Verge, Sharma said that Xbox Game Pass had become “too expensive for players,” adding that Microsoft needed to find a “a better value equation.” The Xbox boss also said that the company intended to make Game Pass a more flexible service for players.

“Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It's also clear that the current model isn't the final one,” Sharma said. “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.”

Sharma's memo suggests the new Xbox chief is reassessing some of the platform decisions taken under the previous leadership. One of the first things Sharma reportedly did after replacing Phil Spencer as Microsoft Gaming CEO in February was to scrap the infamous ‘This is an Xbox' marketing campaign.

“Asha retired 'This is an Xbox' because it didn't feel like Xbox," a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central last month. "She is personally leading a reset of how we show up as a brand.”

Game Pass Changes

Sharma's memo to Xbox staff suggests that reset also includes Game Pass. Last year in October, Microsoft announced a massive 50 percent price hike to Game Pass Ultimate, the top-most tier of the service. The Xbox parent also broadened Game Pass offerings in order to justify the increased cost. The game subscription service is now available across Essential, Premium, and Ultimate tiers that sit alongside the PC Game Pass plan.

Earlier this year, The Verge reported that Microsoft was considering streamlining its Game Pass subscription offerings by merging PC Game Pass and Game Pass Premium tiers. The company is also said to be readying a free ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier in 2026 that would allow Xbox players to access cloud playable games without a Game Pass subscription.

Additionally, reports have claimed that Sharma is also considering bringing back Xbox exclusivity for its first-party games. Under Spencer and former Xbox president Sarah Bond, Microsoft abandoned exclusivity and pivoted to a multiplatform strategy in 2024. The company has since released several Xbox exclusive games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch — the most recent of which was Starfield, which finally released on PS5 this month.

Sharma will likely share more about her plans for Xbox and first-party games at Xbox Games Showcase in June.