Phil Spencer has led Xbox (now officially titled CEO of Microsoft Gaming) for more than ten years. Until very recently, I'd argue the brand genuinely prioritized players under his leadership, even as Xbox continued to cede market share to PlayStation. To recap: Spencer quickly unbundled the Kinect from the Xbox One, shedding the $100 anchor that was dragging the console down. His first major initiative as head was championing backward compatibility, which has been an undeniable success. Later, FPS Boost on Xbox Series X|S made many of those older titles perform even better. He pushed Sony, albeit reluctantly, into mainstreaming cross-play. The Xbox One X outperformed the PS4 Pro by delivering true native 4K. Gaming has also become more inclusive during the Phil Spencer era, thanks to the Xbox Adaptive Controller and commendable American Sign Language (ASL) integration in several first-party titles. Then, of course, there's Xbox Game Pass. While its business model remains a topic of debate among players and developers, its value for subscribers has been tremendous.
At least, that was the case until now. On IGN's Unlocked podcast, I often reference that Simpsons GIF where Sideshow Bob repeatedly steps on the rakes around him. I bring it up because Xbox consistently finds a way to undermine its own momentum, usually through self-inflicted missteps. Take the upcoming month of October, for instance. Microsoft is set to release not one or two, but three highly anticipated new games in the next 30 days: the incredibly impressive Ninja Gaiden 4, reviving a beloved action series after a decade-long hiatus; Double Fine's promising new title, Keeper, the studio's follow-up to the Game Awards' Game of the Year-nominated Psychonauts 2; and the ever-reliable Obsidian Entertainment's RPG/shooter sequel, The Outer Worlds 2, which has impressed in every preview and hands-on session. This could be a monumental month for Xbox—especially when fans recall how, not long ago, getting three major first-party releases in an entire year was a rarity, let alone a single month.
All three will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one. But here's where Xbox begins stepping on those rakes. Starting immediately, accessing that perk will cost a staggering 50% more. Microsoft has raised Game Pass prices for the third consecutive year, with the premium tier offering day-one releases now priced at $30 per month. For context, just fourteen months ago, Game Pass Ultimate cost $17. That illustrates how sharply and rapidly the price has climbed.
To be fair, Microsoft has added more value to Ultimate, including Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, and higher-resolution cloud gaming. It's also worth noting that several potential Game of the Year contenders launched day-one on Game Pass Ultimate this year, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Blue Prince. However, the core appeal of Game Pass has always been day-one access to Xbox-published games, and this price hike feels squarely aimed at that benefit. (For the record, PC Game Pass is increasing from $12 to $16.49 per month.)
This follows closely on the heels of Microsoft raising Xbox console prices for the second time in just four months. The high-end Xbox Series X now carries a jaw-dropping $800 price tag. Yet, that $800 almost seems like a bargain next to the heavily marketed ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming PC, which comes in at a whopping NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE U.S. DOLLARS. Yes, a less powerful, more affordable model exists for $599, but its value is unknown since Microsoft has only provided the more powerful Ally X to media and influencers. Hopefully, it proves worthwhile, much like the Series S has for the more casual segment of the market.
Frankly, the only thing Xbox hasn't raised prices on are its first-party games. Well, they attempted to with The Outer Worlds 2—and they inevitably will try again next year with titles like Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and Forza Horizon 6—but the community backlash was swift, and Microsoft backed down.
I recognize we live in unpredictable economic times, and Sony and Nintendo aren't blameless either, having each raised prices on their aging hardware in the past year (with Nintendo also aggressively increasing software prices for the Switch 2 generation). You can point to external factors like tariffs if you wish (and Microsoft certainly does), but ultimately, the responsibility lies with Microsoft. This is a company with a near-$4 trillion market cap that has conducted repeated layoffs after spending over $80 billion on studio and publisher acquisitions. It's reasonable to wonder if skeptics questioning Game Pass's long-term sustainability are being vindicated by this latest, most significant round of price increases.
We've reached a troubling point where gaming is becoming less accessible to new players, not more.
What's more concerning is the broader trend: we've sadly arrived at a point where gaming is becoming less accessible to newcomers. Historically, console prices decrease over a generation while game libraries grow in size and quality, leading to more consoles sold and a healthier ecosystem for all involved. While Microsoft isn't solely responsible for this generation's deviation from that pattern, Team Xbox's recent actions don't demonstrate much empathy for customers grappling with rising costs for groceries, gas, and other essentials. Again, these broader economic pressures aren't Microsoft's fault, and the company also faces rising development costs. However, the choice being made appears to prioritize profit over players.
Consequently, while this Xbox console generation isn't over, it will likely be remembered first and foremost for Microsoft's perceived greed: two hardware price hikes (and counting), three Xbox Game Pass increases (and counting), one attempted software price increase (so far), and tens of thousands of layoffs coupled with multiple studio closures.
It feels like a classic monkey's paw scenario. What Xbox players have wanted since the disastrous Xbox One era began was a consistent pipeline of excellent first-party games. Well, in 2025, we're finally getting that—and 2026 looks equally promising—but it's coming at the expense of nearly everything else. And that isn't the fault of gamers. The blame lies with Microsoft's decisions.
