Like many, I have been with Xbox since its inception. However, I cannot deny that Microsoft has missed the mark with Xbox on several occasions. The solution to "send Microsoft a message" is to stop buying GamePass Ultimate. I think what happened with mass cancellations was a healthy for the industry and will hopefully only spur competition; however, if you can't afford 30 USD monthly, then it's time to get realistic with yourself and make other sacrifices.
Question yourself:
Do you really need every game immediately? Most likely if you're on this site, you have a backlog. Ball on a budget and buy everything on sale. You cannot say that GP wasn't expected to go up in price regardless of the % increase (this is not a defense of price hikes).
What I practice:
- Can I afford the most powerful version of XB and GP Ultimate monthly? (yes, but I refuse to buy something that I feel little benefit with lackluster catalogs vs. the Xbox & Xbox 360 years)
- Buying the Series S at launch - my thoughts were to spend more money on actual games; the hardware itself has performed wonderfully for me
- Buy individual games on sale - EX: I just bought Star Wars Jedi Survivor for 12 USD a few weeks ago
- Stop buying launch: reap the benefit of games being fully patched (or somewhat better than launch) when you buy later
- Subscribe to GP Essential for online play only - consider redeeimg GP from reputable third party sites to get the cost even lower (to my knowledge, you're not forced to only buy from Microsoft directly)
- Play the occasional good game on the lower-tier of GP
- Price hiked consoles I will avoid, and my Series S will be used until it no longer functions
Will Essential GP increase in price? Most likely, but I'll hold out until then. Continue enjoying XB because it really is a FUN place to be despite its setbacks. You don't need everything immediately!
Everyone needs to play Lost Odyssey! Any opposition to this and I will have to just say, "If it's a fight you want, you got it!"
