Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg
Microsoft Corp. raises the price for subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold, the paid online gaming platform, doubles the cost of an annual pass, and quickly provokes outrage among users.
The price increase brings the cost of a six-month subscription to $ 60. Last year, Microsoft removed the option for an annual subscription at that price from its online store. Costs for a monthly plan also increased, by 10% to $ 11.
The move pushes the price of Xbox Live Gold closer to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a more expensive subscription that also includes access to games and other benefits. At $ 15 a month or $ 180 a year, Game Pass Ultimate is now just $ 60 more than a year of Xbox Live Gold.
Game Pass has become central to Microsoft’s strategy to attract loyalty with the recent release of the Xbox series X to comfort. But gamers were outraged that Microsoft would increase the cost of a subscription so drastically, especially during the pandemic, when people spent more time on screens than usual and unemployment soared. Users expressed their frustration online, often comparing the subscription costs with Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Plus, that’s $ 60 a year.
On Twitter, where the topic was one of the hottest topics on Friday, a gamer named Zay said: “Xbox users must sell their Xbox so they can get Xbox Live Gold. “
One user said Microsoft is out of touch with its community and economic reality.
To justify the move, Microsoft said the price of Xbox Live Gold “hasn’t changed for years, and in some markets hasn’t changed for over 10 years.”
There is no price change for existing six or 12 month Xbox Live Gold members.