Josh Goldman / CNET
That increase in the price of Xbox Live Gold that upset you? It just doesn’t happen – Microsoft has changed its mind.
“We blew it today and you were right to let us know,” Microsoft said on Friday in an update to the blog that announced the highest price for the online gaming service. “Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of the game and we don’t live up to the expectations of the players who rely on it every day. As a result, we decided not to change the price of Xbox Live Gold.”
The now-sunk price hike has increased subscription fees: in the United States, a month of Xbox Live Gold jumped a dollar to $ 11; three months went up five dollars, to $ 30; and six months jumped $ 20 to $ 60. The one-year subscription option was also dropped. But this is all a thing of the past.
“If you’re already an Xbox Live Gold member, you keep the current renewal price,” said Microsoft in its blog update. “New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today. In the US, $ 9.99 for 1 month, $ 24.99 for 3 months, $ 39.99 for 6 months and $ 59 , 99 for 12 months in retail. “
The company also said that you won’t need a subscription to open free games on Xbox.
“You will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play these games on Xbox,” he said. “We are working hard to deliver this change as quickly as possible in the coming months.”
The now-sparse price review apparently aimed to get users to upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft’s best gaming subscription service, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold, access to cloud games for games on an Android phone or tablet and the ability to play more than 100 games on your Xbox, phone or PC. It also includes new Xbox Game Studio titles, including the upcoming Halo Infinite.
At $ 15 a month, a year of Game Pass Ultimate would cost $ 180. This is compared to the $ 120 that you would have to shell out for two six-month Xbox Live Gold subscriptions under the now canceled price changes.
CNET’s Eli Blumenthal contributed to this report.