Microsoft raises the price of Xbox Live Gold



[ad_1]

Microsoft is soon to increase the prices of its Xbox Live Gold subscription. The software giant has started notifying existing Xbox Live Gold members of changes in certain markets, and it will see the price increase by one dollar to $ 10.99 per month in the US and $ 5 for a three-month subscription. .

The 12 and 6 month rates are also increasing, but the increase will not affect existing subscribers here. Three months will now be priced at $ 29.99, and six months at $ 59.99. Microsoft also allows Xbox Live Gold members to convert their remaining Gold time to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (up to 36 months). The conversion means that if you have 11 months of Xbox Live Gold left in your account, you can upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and convert it to 11 months of Ultimate at no additional cost.

Unless you sign up for Xbox Live Gold, that means the price of the service drops from $ 60 per year to $ 120. Microsoft quietly removed its 12-month option last year, which was previously priced at $ 60. Sony is still offering 12 months of PlayStation Plus for $ 60, and it’s unclear what Microsoft will come up with to justify the sudden price hike.

Many had hoped and expected that Microsoft would remove its Xbox Live fees altogether, or at least allow free games to access multiplayer features for free on Xbox consoles. This is clearly not the case now, and for many it marks the first Xbox Live Gold price increase in years. “In many markets, the price of Xbox Live Gold hasn’t changed for years and in some markets it hasn’t changed for over 10 years,” says the Xbox Live Gold team.

Changes will not take effect until at least 45 days after Xbox Live subscribers receive a message from Microsoft advising them of the price increases. Some regions have already started receiving notifications, but most have not. “If you are in an area where prices are adjusting, you will receive an email and a notification in the message center within the next month to let you know the new price for your subscription,” Microsoft says.

Update, Jan. 22 10 a.m.ET: Updated with more pricing information.

[ad_2]

Source link