Xbox Game Pass Price Hike Hits Some Regions Harder Than Others

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It looks like Microsoft has significantly increased the cost of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in several countries outside of the United States, such as Brazil, Turkey, and Colombia. While US subscribers are now paying 50% more for the Ultimate plan, causing some to cancel, the price hike is much steeper – and more impactful – in other parts of the world.

As a big Xbox fan, I was pretty bummed to see the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate go up *again* on October 1st – it’s now $30 a month. Microsoft is trying to spin it as a positive, saying we’re getting more for our money. They’re including things like Ubisoft+ Classics and a Fortnite Crew subscription with the new price, and they promise at least 75 games will be available on day one each year. But even with these extra perks being pretty consistent everywhere, it seems like gamers in some countries are getting hit with *much* higher prices for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which isn’t ideal. It’s frustrating that the cost isn’t the same for everyone, even with the added benefits.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Doubled in Some Regions

Brazilian tech news site Tecnoblog reports that the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in Brazil has almost doubled, increasing by 99.9% from 60 Brazilian Real (~$11 USD) to 120 BRL (~$22 USD). Gamers in Colombia, Turkey, and South Africa have shared similar news, with some saying prices have gone up as much as 165%. What’s frustrating is that some of the new features added to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to *justify* these higher prices aren’t even available in these countries. For instance, one fan noted that the improved 1440p streaming through Cloud Gaming isn’t accessible in Brazil. Essentially, players in these regions are facing higher costs for a reduced experience.

To show how much these unfair price increases impact gamers in places like Brazil, it’s important to know that the minimum monthly wage there is around 1,500 BRL (via CXC Global). This means a typical gamer could end up spending almost 8% of their entire monthly income on Game Pass Ultimate. It’s not surprising that there’s been a lot of negative reaction to Microsoft’s new prices, and many content creators in these areas are encouraging people to cancel their Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.

Many are worried that the price increase in October might be the breaking point, possibly harming Xbox’s position in the competition with other consoles. However, it’s still unclear if the current negative reaction will lead Microsoft to change its Xbox Game Pass strategy in countries other than the US. It will also be worth watching how the new, and somewhat debated, Xbox Game Pass tiers impact the number of subscribers, and if the company will experience significant financial setbacks due to a rise in people canceling their subscriptions. It remains to be seen what the long-term effects will be.

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2025-10-03 15:16