Link to the VGChartz article here.

Xbox Game Pass Tiers Rebranded, New Features as Ultimate Now Costs $30/Month

Microsoft has announced multiple changes to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Game Pass Core has been rebranded to Game Pass Essential, Game Pass Standard has been rebranded to Game Pass Premium, and Game Pass Ultimate name remains the same.

Game Pass Essential and Game Pass Premium do offer more benefits than before at the same price, while Game Pass Ultimate has increased from $19.99 per month to $29.99 per month with some added benefits.

Game Pass Essential and Game Pass Premium now includes games on PC and cloud gaming, and have in-game benefits that includes Riot Games. More games are also available now on both tiers. 

Game Pass Ultimate now includes Ubisoft+ Classics (normally ~$15.98/month) and Fortnite Crew (normally $11.99/month). Ubisoft+ Classics a selection of Ubisoft games to play on console, PC, and cloud that includes the majority of Assassin's Creeds games, Far Cry games, and more. Fortnite Crew gives access to the Fortnite Battle Pass, 1,000 V-Bucks each month, and more.

All three tiers can earn MS Rewards by playing games that can be used on the MS Store. Essential users can earn up to $25/year, Premium users up to $50/year, and Ultimate users up to $100/year. MS Points can also be earned by buying games and add-ons - 10 points per $1 for Essential users, 20 points per $1 for Premium users, and 40 points per $1 for Ultimate users. Premium users can get an extra 5% in points for select Game Pass games and add-ons purchases, while Ultimate users get an extra 10%.

PC Game Pass will remain available, however, it is increasing from $11.99/month to $16.49/month. It has the same benefits as before.

Game Pass Essential

• $9.99/month - £6.99/month (Same price as before)
• Playable on PC, console, & cloud
• 50+ games playable on console and PC (Up from 25+)
• Unlimited cloud gaming
• Online console multiplayer
• In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
• Rewards towards purchases
  • Can earn up to $25 per year (25k points globally) in the Store by playing games
  • Can earn 10 MS Points per $1 spent on games and add-ons
  • 1x bonus earn rate for quests

Game Pass Premium

• $14.99/month - £10.99/month (Same price as before)
• Playable on PC, console, & cloud
• New Xbox published games added within a year of release (excludes Call of Duty titles)
• Unlimited cloud gaming with shorter wait times
• Online console multiplayer
• In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
• Rewards towards purchases
  • Can earn up to $50 per year (50k points globally) in the Store by playing games
  • Can earn 20 MS Points per $1 spent on games and add-ons
  • 5% extra MS Points for select Game Pass library games and add-ons purchases
  • 2x bonus earn rate for quests

Game Pass Ultimate

• $29.99/month - £22.99/month (Up from $19.99/month - £14.99/month)
• Playable on PC, console, & cloud
• 75+ day one games a year, including all Xbox published games day one
• Ubisoft+ Classics (Normally ~$15.98/month) included
• EA Play included
• Fortnite Crew coming November 18 - Normally $11.99/month - Fortnite Battle Pass, 1,000 V-Bucks each month, and more
• Unlimited cloud gaming at the best quality (Up to 1440p) with shortest wait times
• Online console multiplayer
• In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
• Rewards towards purchases
  • Can earn up to $100 per year (100k points globally) in the Store by playing games
  • Can earn 40 MS Points per $1 spent on games and add-ons
  • 10% extra MS Points for select Game Pass library games and add-ons purchases
  • 4x bonus earn rate for quests

PC Game Pass

• $16.49/month - £13.49/month (Up from $11.99/month - £9.99/month)
• PC only
• Day one games (Including Call of Duty)
• EA Play included
• In-game benefits, including for Riot Games
• Can earn up to $50 per year (50k points globally) in the Store by playing games

Here is the list of new games added for each tier starting today:

Ultimate – Available Today

• Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed II (PC)
• Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PC)
• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PC)
• Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD (PC)
• Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC)
• Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection (Cloud and Console)
• Assassin’s Creed Unity (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Child of Light (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Far Cry 3 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Far Cry Primal (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Hungry Shark World (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Monopoly Madness (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Monopoly 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• OddBallers (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show (Cloud and Console)
• Rabbids: Party of Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Rayman Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Risk Urban Assault (Cloud and Console)
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Skull and Bones (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• South Park: The Stick of Truth (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Steep (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• The Crew 2 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• The Settlers: New Allies (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Tom Clancy’s The Division (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Trackmania Turbo (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Transference (Cloud and Console)
• Trials Fusion (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Trials of the Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Trials Rising (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Uno (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Watch_Dogs (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Wheel of Fortune (Cloud and Console)
• Zombi (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Premium – Available Today (also in Ultimate)

• 9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC)
• Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Against the Storm (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC)
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (PC)
• Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Ara: History Untold (PC)
• Arx Fatalis (PC)
• Back to the Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Battletech (PC)
• Blacksmith Master (Game Preview) (PC)
• Cataclismo (PC)
• Cities: Skylines II (PC)
• Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Diablo (PC)
• Diablo IV (PC and Console)
• An Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire (PC)
• The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)
• Fallout (PC)
• Fallout 2 (PC)
• Fallout: Tactics (PC)
• Football Manager 2024 (PC)
• Frostpunk 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Halo: Spartan Strike (PC)
• Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC)
• Minami Lane (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Minecraft: Java Edition (PC)
• Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Quake 4 (PC)
• Quake III Arena (PC)
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC)
• Rise of Nations: Extended Edition (PC)
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Sworn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)
• Volcano Princess (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)
• Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)
• Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)
• Wolfenstein 3D (PC)

Essential – Available Today (also in Ultimate and Premium)

• Cities: Skylines Remastered (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S)
• Disney Dreamlight Valley (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Hades (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (Cloud, PC, and Console)

https://www.vgchartz.com/article/465880/xbox-game-pass-tiers-rebranded-new-features-as-ultimate-now-costs-30month/

The price of day one games going from $20/month all the way up to $30/month on console is going to be a VERY difficult pill to swallow for many.

Also, while not given much of a spotlight, PC Gamepass still exists for now. But has increased from $12 to $16.49/month.

The other two tiers are actually better now as they include cloud gaming, more games, and other perks for the same price. But yeah Ultimate going up to $30/month is a big jump even if it does include new perks like Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew, and now 1440p cloud gaming. 

The thing to note is users can earn points towards the Store. $25/year for Essential, $50/year for Premium, and $100/year for Ultimate. So that can help offset some of the increased cost for Ultimate if you play enough.

I can't believe Game Pass Ultimate has doubled in price in just 3 to 4 years, this is just greedy! (£10.99/ month in 2021!)

Ubisoft games are easily available for cheap, so not much benefit there.

To think, I used to be able to complete the game quests and earn enough points to keep extending the subscription essentially for free, I knew it was too good to be true.

I stopped using Game Pass about 2 years ago though, it got overwhelming with all the choice and after a while, I noticed the games leaving would suddenly appear on sale on Steam, the very week it was leaving Game Pass at massive discounts!

I wouldn't ever subscribe again, apart from maybe essential. There's just so much to play from previous generations that feels better made and more fun than what is coming out now. Many games seem so uninspired this generation.

These prices VS PS+ make for stark reading:

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps-plus/#subscriptions

$9.99 - PS+ Essental

$14.99 - PS+ Extra

$17.99 - PS+ Premium

Obviously the services are different, but to the general public the price is the deciding factor.

A few years ago right after the Activision purchase a lot of us predicted big price hikes were in the future. But man, that is a huge increase in the past few years. 3 tiers is probably too many, but they should really have a 4th tier that has day one games but doesn't include EA or Ubisoft as I don't care about either.

And unlike MS they offer annual subs, so technically you can get PS+ premium from $13.33/month, compared to the $30/month from MS. No annual sub through the MS Store.

So yeah, if you want to buy in long term then PS+ Premium is less than half GP Ultimate now.

But PS+ Premium doesn't include day one games so they're not really comparable subs.

Day one games is the big difference with Ultimate and really the main reason to sub to it. The new perks are nice, but not worth how much more it costs now than before.

Luckily I have my Game Pass Ultimate maxed out at 3 years. I've been able to use MS Rewards to keep that going. 

In Canada the new Ultimate price will be $33.99 a month. So $407.88 per year plus tax.

Unless you want Day One Microsoft games and some other Day One Games, PS Plus Premium is a much better deal now than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. And I'm usually not into Microsoft games, so it is a much better deal to me.
I doubt I'll ever get Ultimate ever again. I'm not going to get a Series X/S and not getting a Gaming PC any time soon. Game Pass Ultimate doesn't have much value for an Xbox One X player.