New Game Pass subscribers can no longer get their first month for $1, as Microsoft has stopped offering the introductory Game Pass offer.
In a statement to the edgeXbox Head of Global Communications Kari Perez confirmed that the offer no longer exists.
“We have discontinued our previous introductory offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass and are evaluating different marketing offers for new members in the future,” Perez said.
The $1 experience has been a mainstay of Game Pass for years. It allowed new members to try Xbox Game Pass for a month for just $1, before renewing into the standard monthly subscription of $14.99 per month for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or $9.99 per month for a PC or console subscription. There’s no word yet on what a possible alternative Xbox marketing promotion for Game Pass might be.
One new feature that could be on the way is the Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family Plan. This will allow subscribers to share a subscription with up to four other friends or family members, and Microsoft started testing the new tier in multiple countries last year.
While the biggest video streaming services have mainly had price hikes in the past year, the price of Xbox Game Pass has been holding steady for a while now. However, the $14.99 price point for Game Pass Ultimate likely won’t last forever. Last year, Xbox’s Phil Spencer said, “I think at some point we’re going to have to raise some prices on certain things.” Shortly after this statement, Microsoft revealed that it was joining Sony in raising the prices of new first-party games to $70.
2023 is set to be a big year for Xbox Game Pass. Fans were already surprised by the Hi-Fi Rush shadowdrop, and Xbox owners will finally see big contributions from Bethesda in the form of Redfall and Starfield.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with minor lines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
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