Microsoft is hiking the price of Xbox Live Gold for new members. The price increase doubles what you’d pay for an annual subscription.
“Going forward, new pricing will be 1-month for $10.99, 3-months for $29.99, and 6-months for $59.99, or your local market equivalent,” the company announced via its official blog, Xbox Wire.
“If you’re an existing online 12-month or 6-month Xbox Live Gold member, there’s no price change. If you choose to renew your membership, it will renew at your current price,” they add.
So the price hike only affects new subscribers to Gold, not existing 12 and 6-month subscribers who renew. If you currently pay month-to-month, you will now pay $1 extra. The equivalent of a one-year subscription to Gold – two six-month subscriptions stacked – is jumping from $59.99 to $120.
My Take
There has been speculation (including from me) that Microsoft might try to phase out Xbox Live Gold in favor of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It looks like that’s the strategy here, even if it’s quite aggressive. Rather than phasing out Xbox Live Gold in one fell swoop, they’re herding new subscribers into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes Xbox Game Pass for console, PC, Android, and Xbox Live Gold.
Deals
Try three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $1. Need to renew? Get three months for $39 (normally $45).
