Xbox Game Pass price increase now in effect, Xbox LIVE conversion ratios have also changed

The price increase for Xbox Game Pass on console has gone into effect, and Microsoft has also adjusted the ratios for Xbox Live -> Game Pass subscription conversions.

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Microsoft's value-oriented Xbox Game Pass subscription is now officially more expensive on console. The price hike is well-timed; Microsoft lawyers have said that Xbox has no plans to increase Game Pass if it should be allowed to merger with Activision, so the increase is happening before the potential merger. The price hike also precedes Starfield's release in September.

The base Xbox Game Pass subscription is now priced at $10.99 per month on console, representing a $1 price increase, whereas Game Pass Ultimate has jumped by $2 from $14.99 to the new $16.99/month price. The PC version of Xbox Game Pass has not been changed and remains $9.99/month.

New pricing (left) vs old pricing (right).

Microsoft has also adjusted the conversion rates for the service.

Before today's price increase, Microsoft allowed users to convert Xbox LIVE subscriptions into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions at a specific ratio. First, we'll go over the standard sub-to-sub ratio.

New conversion ratios (left) vs old ratios (right).

In this regard, Microsoft has actually increased some of the conversion rates, and decreased others.

• 1-3 months of Gold -> Ultimate ratios remain the same.
• 6 months of Gold now converts into 81 days of Ultimate, which is an increase of +2 days.
• 12 months of Gold -> Ultimate ratio remains the same.
• 24 months of Gold now converts to 6 months of Ultimate, a decrease of -2 months.
• 1 month of Game Pass for Console now converts to 22 days of Ultimate, an increase of +2 days.
• 3 months of Game Pass for Console now converts to 68 days of Ultimate, an increase of +8 days.
• 6 months of Game Pass for Console now converts to 135 days of Ultimate, an increase of +15 days.
• 9 months of Game Pass for Console now converts to 9 months of Ultimate, an increase of +4 months.
• 24 months of Game Pass for Console now converts to 18 months of Ultimate, an increase of +8 months.
• 1 month of PC Game Pass -> Ultimate ratio remain the same.

As for the big conversion ratio, reports indicate that Microsoft has adjusted from a 1:1 ratio to a 3:2 ratio.

Before the price hike, gamers were able to use a trick to get a bunch of Game Pass Ultimate time.

Here's how it worked, as per Redditor IndijinusPhonetic:

1. Okay here's the process for people who have an active Game Pass subscription:
2. Buy Xbox Live Gold Subscription card (for example let's say I have a 1 year card)
3. Cancel your recurring Game Pass membership
4. Wait for current membership time to lapse - so you do not have active Gamepass Ultimate Subscription
5. Redeem Xbox Live Gold Subscriptions for XBL Gold membership, in this instance it's for 1 year of Xbox Live Gold
6. Go to manage subscriptions via your account page - upgrade your XBL Gold Membership to Game Pass Ultimate
7. Now, (instead of your 1 year subscription code converting to 4 months of Game Pass via the conversion table) you have 1 year of prepaid Gamepass Ultimate

This trick no longer works in the same way. Instead of this method giving 1 year of Game Pass Ultimate for 1 year of Xbox LIVE Gold, the conversion is now on a 3:2 basis, meaning you'll get 8 months of Ultimate instead of 12 months as you would previously.

That's still a better deal than purchasing the subscriptions outright, however it does mean that 3 years of Xbox LIVE Gold will not turn into 2 years of Ultimate based on this ratio.