Xbox Game Pass May Be Next in Microsoft’s Price Hike Lineup

Microsoft has already increased the prices of its Xbox consoles. Then came the bump to $80 for first-party games. Now it looks like Game Pass could be next.

A new system alert spotted by @RedPhx points to what’s coming. The developer noticed a fresh notification type on the Xbox Cloud Gaming web app called “SubscriptionPriceIncrease.”

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It’s a backend string meant to notify users when the Game Pass price changes. Do note that this alert hasn’t existed before. The rest of Xbox Cloud Gaming’s pop-ups cover routine things—friends online, rewards, and achievements.

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A message tied specifically to pricing is new and clearly intentional. Microsoft hasn’t made any official announcement. But this kind of change usually goes live right before something changes.

Let’s not forget that major shareholders like Vanguard and JP Morgan are set to earn millions this quarter through Microsoft’s dividend payouts. A price increase on subscriptions would only help keep that margin steady.