Xbox Game Pass subscription costs and library access shift from 2017 to 2026

Xbox Game Pass subscribers face steep price increases and reduced library access as subscription costs and tier structures shift across console and PC platforms. When Game Pass was introduced in June 2017, subscribers paid $9.99 a month to enjoy over 100 current-gen and backward-compatible games, alongside a 14-day free trial and early library access for Xbox Live members.

Flash-forward to September 2026, and the same $9.99 price point now applies to the Essential Plan, which grants gamers access to only 50+ titles and five hours of cloud playtime monthly.

Subscription Tiers and Console Costs

Console players seeking broader access face significantly higher price tags. The monthly Premium Plan costs $14.99 and features over 200 games with instant access to new Xbox-published titles within a year of release. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Plan runs $22.99 per month, offering over 500 games, day-one availability for new releases, and added perks such as EA Play, Fortnite Crew, and Ubisoft+ Classics access.

PC Pricing and the Call of Duty Catch

For PC users, a PC-only version costs $13.99 monthly as of September 2026 to play over 300 games, including day-one access for new titles and EA Play. However, a recent $7 price drop for Game Pass Ultimate came with a major caveat. In April 2026, Xbox announced that future “Call of Duty” games would be omitted from the same-day launch perk for both Game Pass Ultimate and the PC-only tier, arriving instead approximately a year later during the following holiday season.

Despite the omission of “Call of Duty” from day-one launches, other new releases like “Minecraft Dungeons II” and “Dune: Awakening” maintained same-day access, with titles such as “Gears of War: E-Day” scheduled to follow.