Future Price Hikes for Game Pass Are “Inevitable,” Phil Spencer Says

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it was raising the subscription prices for Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate in all markets except the US, Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Columbia, and as many may have expected, it looks like it won’t be the only price hike we’ll see for Microsoft’s subscription service.

That’s as per suggestions by Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself, who said in a recent interview with Japanese outlet Game Watch that he thinks it’s “inevitable” that there will be more price increases for Game Pass in the future. However, according to Spencer, the focus for Microsoft will remain on ensuring that the service provides an appropriate level of value for whatever its price is.

“Although the main premise is to provide more value, the price, I think, it is inevitable that it will rise in the future,” Spencer said (via @IdleSloth84_ on Twitter). “We recently raised our prices once, but the decision was made after careful consideration. We believe it is important to provide services that are recognized as being of sufficient value even if prices are increased.”

Of course, Microsoft has generally done a pretty solid job of offering lower prices in special deals to bring in new subscribers for Game Pass over the years, so the hope will surely be that the company continues to do that, regardless of whether base prices see increases (which, hopefully, won’t be happening anytime soon).