Xbox Game Pass has become harder and harder to recommend as Microsoft continues to make changes. Users are already unhappy with the price increase without new features to justify it. But the latest controversy is not directly a price issue, but rather how Microsoft is handling the pricing of Xbox Game Pass. It follows on the heels of Microsoft revealing that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will see their Cloud Gaming reduced to 15 hours per month beginning in November, further frustrating Xbox players.
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Now, it appears that some Xbox Game Pass users are getting offered personalized pricing. While some users are getting these offers, others are not, seemingly following the decision Sony made with dynamic pricing regarding the PlayStation Store. While it is understandable that Microsoft wants to keep people subscribed or even bring them back to Xbox Game Pass, this practice absolutely runs the risk of upsetting players and driving them away from the service altogether. Personalized offers are certainly an incentive for users to continue subscribing to Game Pass, but it opens the door to a slippery slope.
Xbox Game Pass Has Different Offers For Different Users
The initial report that Microsoft is offering personalized Xbox Game Pass offers seems to come from Reddit when user synthlov3r. The Reddit post details through screenshots an offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $16.09 per month for 12 months. This is a stark difference than the current $22.99 cost per month, and considering this is an annual offer, the pricing for the 12 months, especially when considering it is priced at $16.09 per month rather than charging the entire year up front.
Other users have reported offers of $18 and $20 per month. The offers appear aimed at people who are not currently subscribed, while active subscribers reportedly are not receiving the discounts. What makes this interesting is that Microsoft has not publicly confirmed that it is using dynamic pricing for Game Pass, so these reports should not be treated as proof of an official pricing algorithm.
Users are understandably upset, and it also begs the question of whether subscribers can game the system. If these offers appear when canceling Xbox Game Pass or when it naturally expires, can Xbox players simply wait until then to get the discounted offer? If so, Microsoft may take action against those who do or encourage this, further increasing the division among fans.
Xbox Game Pass already has users questioning its long-term value. Rising prices and a lack of new features has many on the fence, and this quiet policy could inflame this discussion even more. Microsoft needs to be careful going forward with Xbox Game Pass, but only time will tell if personalized price offers are here to stay or will disappear just as quietly as they appeared.
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