Microsoft increased the prices for Xbox Game Pass this week, causing a lot of consternation from players who were already less than pleased with price jumps on almost all game consoles and the high MSRP of the incoming ROG Xbox Ally. But if you know where to look, you can still get Game Pass Ultimate at the older $20/month price, at least for a while.
It’s all in the code, or codes. No, I’m not saying you should hack Microsoft like a grungy 90s movie star (or a cringey 2000s TV star). I’m saying there are tons of prepaid Game Pass cards out there that are still going for the original price. These are the little plastic credit card-sized gift cards you often see in grocery stores and drug stores, next to dozens of others for Netflix, Audible, etc. It looks like there are still plenty of them out there going for $20 USD (or three months for $60), and there are digital alternatives delivered via email that work just as well.
GameStop has said it’s still selling Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions at the previous $20/month price (via Tom’s Hardware), presumably because that’s the price the stores themselves paid for the cards. There are also digital versions on Amazon at that price (or tripled for $60), and a few others for things like Game Pass Core (now called “Essential”) or the PC-only Game Pass. Because the codes on these cards or emails are redeemed for a specific tier of service and not a set value in currency like a standard gift card, you’re essentially getting a huge discount on the new prices. Once purchased, they can be redeemed anytime.
If you want to keep playing Game Pass at the old price, hunt down these cards and codes wherever you can. Check physical retailers to see if they’ve raised the price to $30/month (or $90 for three months) for Ultimate. If they haven’t, you just found some free money… okay, not actually free money, but free value in the form of a bunch of PC and console games you can play or stream. But considering how rapidly these services are enshittifying, you might want to load up on the old price while you can. It’s only going to go up.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 15-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.