Xbox Is Pricing Out Its Players

by

Xbox has been making changes lately that are frustrating players and putting them in difficult positions. While Xbox is a major force in gaming, it’s currently struggling to live up to its potential. The company recovered from the poor launch of the Xbox One, which had damaged the success of the popular Xbox 360. Services like Xbox Game Pass, along with acquiring popular game studios, completely changed the direction of the brand. Plus, Microsoft smartly began releasing games on both Xbox and PC at the same time, reaching a wider audience.

While challenges remained, particularly with key franchises like Halo, the Xbox platform was generally moving in a positive direction. Although Xbox trailed behind PlayStation, it was pursuing a different approach to competition – one that went beyond simply offering a similar console with appealing games. Instead of just repackaging the same ideas, Xbox aimed to innovate and offer something truly distinct. By 2020, the Xbox Series X|S consoles and the Game Pass subscription service were considered central to Xbox’s future, but recent months have brought more difficulties.

Xbox Used to Be An Accessibly Platform

When the Xbox Series X and S launched, a key advantage was affordability. While the Series X cost $500 with games around $60-$70, the introduction of the $300 Series S offered a more budget-friendly way to join the new generation of gaming. Although some game developers have expressed frustration with having to ensure compatibility with the less powerful Series S, it ultimately benefited players looking for a cheaper option.

With a $20 monthly Xbox Game Pass subscription, players could access big first-party games like *Halo Infinite*, *Forza Horizon 5*, and *Starfield* on the day they launched, at no additional cost. The service also included popular third-party titles like *Grand Theft Auto V*, alongside a variety of smaller indie games, offering excellent value. Xbox even offered a payment plan allowing players to get a console and 24 months of Game Pass for $24.99 a month, which, while not necessarily recommended, made gaming more affordable for some.

Game Pass used to offer great extras like discounts on downloadable content and games, plus access to EA Play, which included both older EA titles and early access to new ones with 10-hour trials. Lately, though, these benefits haven’t been as appealing.

Okay, so things got pretty crazy back in May 2025. Xbox decided to raise the price of both consoles – the Series S jumped from $300 to $380, and the Series X went from $500 to $600. But that wasn’t all! Microsoft also announced that new first-party games, like *The Outer Worlds 2*, were going to cost $80 starting in the fall, and that meant even big titles like *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* would be that expensive too. Needless to say, gamers were *not* happy. Xbox eventually listened and decided to keep game prices normal, but they stuck with the console price increases. It was a rough patch, honestly.

Things just kept getting worse for Xbox. By July 2025, they were closing down studios left and right after a ton of layoffs. It was brutal seeing some hyped games, like *Perfect Dark* from The Initiative, get cancelled – and that studio hadn’t even released a single game in seven years! I thought the worst was over, but then, in September 2025, Xbox announced *another* price hike. Now the Series S costs $400, and the Series X is a crazy $650. Seriously, it was a tough time to be an Xbox fan.

You’d think that would be the last of it, but surprisingly, it wasn’t! Just a few weeks later, Xbox announced a price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, bringing the monthly cost to $30 – or $360 annually. That’s $60 more than the original launch price of the Xbox Series S in 2020. While Xbox attempted to make the news easier to swallow by adding perks like access to Ubisoft Classics and Fortnite Crew, the price increase still made Game Pass the most expensive mainstream entertainment subscription service, excluding those that include live television.

According to Bloomberg, the recent price increase for Xbox Game Pass is largely because Call of Duty sales were down $300 million last year. This is because the game was available on Game Pass from day one. Xbox also didn’t gain as many Game Pass subscribers as they hoped. To make up for this lost revenue, Microsoft raised the price of Game Pass by $10. While Call of Duty is a popular game, this price increase unfairly affects players who aren’t interested in the franchise, essentially making them pay for Microsoft’s expensive purchase of Activision.

The new Asus ROG Ally handheld, designed for Xbox, can be quite costly. Prices range from $600 for the basic model to $1,000 for the higher-end version. While it’s a cool addition to the Xbox experience, it’s not essential, and it’s pricier than alternatives like the Steam Deck, which is available from $400 to $650. If you’re looking for a handheld gaming device, the Steam Deck offers a more affordable option.

The ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC, meaning you can play games from any platform, though it’s particularly appealing for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. However, the recent price increase for Game Pass makes the Ally less attractive. While price hikes are sometimes understandable due to things like tariffs, Xbox’s Sarah Bond has said Game Pass is already profitable, earning $5 billion last year. It seems excessive to add another $10 monthly fee to subscribers, on top of increasing hardware costs. Overall, the price increases feel too high.

Xbox Has Cemented Its Place Behind PlayStation This Generation

I don’t get involved in console debates, but Xbox needs to find a way to stay competitive with PlayStation to keep its player base. Ultimately, players are the most important thing – they’re the ones who buy consoles, games, and subscriptions, which is where all the revenue comes from. While cloud gaming on devices like smart TVs and tablets is the future Xbox is aiming for, they need to remain viable as a company until that technology is widely adopted.

Making Xbox games and subscriptions too expensive could discourage new players and drive existing ones to other platforms, like PlayStation. This instability is also causing some Xbox Game Pass subscribers to cancel, and fans worry that Xbox’s current difficulties might mean future games won’t be playable on the system, especially considering Xbox has always promoted playing games from all eras on a single console.

I’m a big Xbox fan and really want to see the platform do well, but recent decisions are worrying a lot of players. I’m hoping the next Xbox will be a strong comeback and offer gamers excellent value.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/xbox-one-series-x-microsoft-games-price-increase/embed/#

Read More

2025-10-08 00:12