# Xbox Game Pass pricing (2026): plans, cost, and compliance

**Entry price:** $9.99/mo (Essential). Among the 6 gaming subscriptions we track it is the most expensive; median entry $4/mo.
**Domain:** xbox.com
**Free tier:** No
**Compliance:** HIPAA Not published · SOC 2 Not published · GDPR Not published
**Integrations:** EA Play (Ultimate and PC Game Pass), Ubisoft+ Classics (Ultimate), Fortnite Crew (Ultimate), Discord Nitro Starter Edition (Ultimate), Microsoft Rewards, Xbox console, Windows PC, Cloud gaming via browser and supported devices
**Best for:** Xbox console owners wanting the widest game library including day-one releases (Ultimate); PC gamers seeking day-one access to Microsoft first-party titles (PC Game Pass); Players who also want EA Play included in one subscription (Ultimate/PC); Budget console players primarily needing online multiplayer and a starter library (Essential); Cloud gaming users who want to play on phones, tablets, or low-end PCs
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Plans

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Essential | $9.99 | — | flat | Console-focused tier. 50+ games on console and supported devices, unlimited cloud gaming, online multiplayer. Introduced Oct 1, 2025 (renamed from Core). No day-one titles. First month $1 promotional offer. No April 2026 price change confirmed for this tier. | destructoid.com |
| Premium | $14.99 | — | flat | 200+ games. New Xbox-published titles within 1 year of launch (not day-one). Cloud gaming with shorter wait times. Introduced Oct 1, 2025 (renamed from Standard). First 14 days $1 promotional offer. No April 2026 price change confirmed for this tier. | destructoid.com |
| Ultimate | $22.99 | — | flat | 500+ games, day-one releases (excluding Call of Duty at launch as of April 21, 2026), includes EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics. Raised to $29.99 on Oct 1, 2025; reduced to $22.99/mo on April 21, 2026 when day-one Call of Duty access was removed. VERIFIER 2026-06-14: corrected from $23.00 — official Xbox Wire announcement states exactly $22.99. | news.xbox.com |
| PC Game Pass | $13.99 | — | flat | 300+ PC games, day-one PC titles (excluding Call of Duty at launch as of April 21, 2026), includes EA Play on PC. Reduced from $16.49 to $13.99/mo on April 21, 2026 alongside the Ultimate reduction, per the official Xbox Wire announcement. | news.xbox.com |

**Key features:** 500+ games including first-party Xbox titles day-one (Ultimate); 300+ PC games with day-one Microsoft first-party releases (PC Game Pass); EA Play bundled at no extra cost (Ultimate and PC Game Pass); Ubisoft+ Classics included (Ultimate); Unlimited cloud gaming on phone, tablet, TV, browser (all tiers); Microsoft Rewards multiplier — up to 4x points (Ultimate); Fortnite Crew and Discord Nitro Starter Edition perks (Ultimate); Play on Xbox console, Windows PC, and cloud-supported devices; Member discounts on game purchases in Microsoft Store; First month $1 promo (Essential); first 14 days $1 promo (Premium).

**Plan limits:** No free tier — paid subscription required; Call of Duty titles excluded from day-one access as of April 2026 (Ultimate/PC); Cloud gaming limited to select regions; Game availability varies by plan, region, and platform; Games can be removed from catalog with notice; Essential tier: console only, no PC or day-one titles.

## Cheaper gaming subscriptions alternatives

- [NVIDIA GeForce NOW](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/nvidia-geforce-now/) — from $0/mo
- [Nintendo Switch Online](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/nintendo-switch-online/) — from $1.67/mo
- [EA Play](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/ea-play/) — from $3.33/mo
- [Apple Arcade](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/apple-arcade/) — from $4.17/mo
- [PlayStation Plus](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/playstation-plus/) — from $6.67/mo

Sources: 2 · Last verified 2026-06-14
Provenance: Official page https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass rendered USD prices as '$XX.XX' placeholders (JS-rendered, geo-varies). Fell back to: (1) Destructoid article (published Oct 1, 2025) for Essential $9.99, Premium $14.99, Ultimate $29.99; (2) Kotaku tag page confirmed April 21, 2026 reduction of Ultimate from $30 to $23; (3) Wikipedia Xbox Game Pass article confirmed PC Game Pass at $13.99 (current, post-April-2026 reduction) and noted the April 2026 reduction applied to both Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/xbox-game-pass/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Xbox Game Pass's entry plan was $9.99/mo as of 2026-06-14 — https://frontdeskreview.com/software/gaming-subscriptions/xbox-game-pass/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl