Big Game Pass price hikes for South Africa

Microsoft has announced significant price increases for its Game Pass subscriptions globally, affecting Ultimate subscribers in South Africa with a R70 price hike. These changes come after previous price adjustments in 2023 and are scheduled to be implemented on 12 September 2024.

For South African subscribers, the monthly fee for PC Game Pass will rise from R79 to R119, while Ultimate plan subscribers will see prices climb from R129 to R199, marking an increase of over 50% for the Ultimate tier.

Annual subscribers on the Game Pass Core plan will experience a fee increase from R479 to R799. In South Africa, the Game Pass Core plan is offered on monthly, three-monthly, and six-monthly plans, with corresponding price adjustments as follows:

• Game Pass Core (1 Month) — increasing from R79 to R99
• Game Pass Core (3 Month) — increasing from R199 to R249
• Game Pass Core (6 Month) — increasing from R319 to R399

It is important to note that the price hikes set to take effect in September 2024 will apply only to new subscribers. Additionally, Microsoft will introduce a Standard Game Pass subscription that does not include day-one access to first-party Xbox games. The pricing details for this new tier in South Africa have not been disclosed in the updated pricing list, while users in the US can subscribe for $14.99 (R271) per month when available.

Moreover, Microsoft will discontinue the Game Pass Console option for new subscribers. The company stated that existing subscribers with automatic payment renewal enabled can retain their membership. However, if automatic renewal is turned off and membership lapses, access to Game Pass for Console will cease, requiring joining one of the other available plans.

The Standard subscription will provide online console multiplayer access, a feature that was absent in Xbox Game Pass for Console. These upcoming price adjustments in September 2024 come following the increments applied by Microsoft in June 2023, where Game Pass Ultimate subscribers experienced a R10 price hike from R119 to R129, reflecting a 7.75% increase.

In contrast, Game Pass for PC did not undergo any adjustments and remained priced at R79 per month. The 2023 price modifications by Microsoft took effect on 6 July for new subscribers and 13 August for existing members, raising the possibility of similar adjustments for existing Game Pass customers later in the year based on previous patterns.

Game Pass offers members access to a vast library of games for the duration of their active subscription. The Game Pass Core subscription was initially introduced in South Africa in 2017 at R159 per month, while Game Pass Ultimate, launched in 2019, included benefits equivalent to an Xbox Live Gold subscription for R200 monthly. Microsoft later reduced the price to R149, alongside lowering the costs of base and PC Game Pass subscriptions to R99 per month, decreasing prices by over 20% in March 2022.

Source: MyBroadband