Update: Microsoft Is Not Raising Xbox Live Gold Price

Written by Brandon Hofer on January 22, 2021

News: Xbox Live Gold will soon cost more money, however, the price of Game Pass seems to be staying the same, for now.

[UPDATED on 1/22/2021 at 8:52 PM PT]

Microsoft has decided not to raise the price of Xbox Live. Their statement is below.

"We messed up today and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of gaming and we failed to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing.

We’re turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience. For free-to-play games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox. We are working hard to deliver this change as soon as possible in the coming months.

If you are an Xbox Live Gold member already, you stay at your current price for renewal. New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today. In the US, $9.99 for 1-month, $24.99 for 3-months, $39.99 for 6-months and $59.99 for retail 12-months.

Thank you."

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Microsoft has just revealed that Xbox Live pricing is going up in the near future. This is a somewhat rare thing as the pricing for Xbox Live has remained fairly stagnant over the years but that is about to change. So what exactly does this mean for you? Well, the details are below:

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.

~~The price of a 1-month Gold membership is increasing $1 USD and the price of a 3-month membership is increasing $5 USD or the equivalent amount in your local market.~~

If you’d like to upgrade your Gold membership to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate your remaining Gold time will also convert directly to Ultimate (up to 36 months). For example, if you have 11 months of Xbox Live Gold now, and you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, those 11 months convert to 11 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no additional cost.

If you happen to be in an area where these price increases are taking place, Microsoft has said that you will be notified either through email, through a message on your console, or both. Some members in certain areas have already been notified. The new price structure is going to be as follows:

~~1-month for $10.99~~

~~3-months for $29.99~~

~~6-months for $59.99~~

At any time you can visit your account to manage your membership and Microsoft has said that prices won’t adjust until at least 45 days after you receive the message. Meanwhile, it appears that Game Pass Ultimate pricing will remain the same, at least for right now.

source: Xbox Wire