Gaming Subscriptions · pricing · Updated September 2026
Xbox Game Pass pricing (2026)
Xbox Game Pass starts at $9.99/mo (Essential) as checked on 2026-09-05, read from Xbox Game Pass's own pricing page; 4 plans. Best for Xbox console owners wanting the widest game library including day-one releases (Ultimate). Every figure below links to its source and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $9.99/mo (Essential)
- Free tier: No
- Compliance: HIPAA — · SOC 2 — · GDPR —
- 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
As of · every figure below links to its source
Xbox Game Pass plans & pricing
| 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. | xbox.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. | xbox.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 $13.99/mo on April 21, 2026 alongside the Ultimate reduction, per the official Xbox Wire announcement. | news.xbox.com |
Last verified 2026-09-05. Official page https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass rendered USD prices as '$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. Re-verified 2026-09-02 against the live pricing page; published figures unchanged. Cross-checked against kotaku.com.
Price changes
Price on record
$9.99/moFirst on record 2026-06-27
A new dated entry is stamped here each time the price moves — the record builds itself.
Tracked since June 2026. No change record has cleared two sources yet, so nothing is published on the wire.
Capabilities
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Xbox Game Pass cost?
Xbox Game Pass starts at $9.99/mo (Essential); it has 4 published plans. Verified 2026-09-05.
What are cheaper alternatives to Xbox Game Pass?
Cheaper gaming subscriptions than Xbox Game Pass (entry $9.99/mo) include Nintendo Switch Online at $1.67/mo, EA Play at $3.33/mo, Apple Arcade at $4.17/mo. Verified 2026-09-05.
Does Xbox Game Pass support HIPAA?
Xbox Game Pass HIPAA support: —. SOC 2: —. GDPR: —.
Does Xbox Game Pass have a free plan?
Xbox Game Pass free tier: No.
Xbox Game Pass vs alternatives
Cheaper gaming subscriptions alternatives
- PlayStation Plus from $9.33/mo
- NVIDIA GeForce NOW from $8.33/mo
- Apple Arcade from $4.17/mo
- EA Play from $3.33/mo
- Nintendo Switch Online from $1.67/mo
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