South Africa has been getting away with, not what we’d exactly call ‘cheap’ Game Pass subscription prices, but certainly paying a whole lot less than, say, the US for years. Microsoft has finally caught on, and plans to make some big changes come September. That goes for PC Game Pass, Ultimate and Core nearly everywhere.
Price hikes aren’t the only thing we have to look forward to. Microsoft will soon bring out a new ‘Standard’ tier, the release of which will likely coincide with the price hikes, and knocks day-one launch titles right off the menu. Fine. Be like that, Microsoft. It’s not like subscribers are losing out on much. We’ll have enough money by 2032 to pick up our own copy of The Elder Scrolls VI by then, anyway.
Goodbye Game Pass for console. You will be missed
But wait, it does actually get worse. Microsoft has sunsetted the existing ‘for console’ tier starting today. Those who are already subscribed will retain their subscriptions until they lapse. At that point, they’ll be forced to get with the programme and pick up a more expensive Ultimate, Core or PC subscription, or the new Standard model we mentioned earlier when it eventually launches. Or… leave.
To that end, a new Ultimate subscription will now cost R200/m – a 54% increase – and yet still does not include discounted three- or twelve-month subscriptions to at least somewhat soften the blow. PC Game Pass, which similarly only offers monthly subscription rates, is now R120/m (was R80/m). Game Pass Core, which includes four subscription tiers based on month, are as follows:
- Game Pass Core (1 month) – R100/m (was R80/m)
- Game Pass Core (3 months) – R250/m (was R200/m)
- Game Pass Core (6 months) – R400/m (was R320/m)
- Game Pass Core (12 months) – R800/m (was R480/m)
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These prices will officially come into effect from 12 September 2024. You can see a table including all the global pricing updates for the service here. Microsoft hasn’t yet announced the pricing for the new Standard tier locally, though we know it will cost $15/m in the US, which roughly translates to R270. Still, South Africa will likely see reduced prices when it turns up.