This Stackable Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Deal Defeats Microsoft's Price Hike
In case you missed it, Microsoft is raising the price of several Xbox Game Pass tiers, and is adding a new "Standard" subscription option that does away with day-one access to first-party Xbox games. The price hikes are in effect now. However, thanks to the ability to stack membership codes, at least one of which is currently discounted on Amazon, you can sidestep the price hike for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. Just be prepared to pony up in a big way to save the most money.
Before we get to the stackable deal, let's recap what the new pricing looks like. In the US, pricing for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate just went up from $16.99 to $19.99 per month, which is a $3 increase. Meanwhile, PC Game Pass increased from $9.99 to $11.99 per month, and Xbox Game Pass Core saw its 12-month subscription jump from $59.99 to $74.99.
You can check out Microsoft's price change notice (PDF) to see the breakdown by country, but for gamers in the US, a full year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate under the new pricing model means spending $239.88 annually, versus $203.88 before.
So, how can you get around this? Amazon is currently selling 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate digital codes for $44.99 each (10% off). That's $5 off the regular price of $49.99, and it brings the monthly cost down to $15.
The other thing to note about Microsoft's new plan pricing is that effective September 12, 2024, it will only allow players on console to stack up to 13 months using prepaid card. However, the current maximum (as outlined in an Xbox support document) is 36 months. The upcoming stackable limit change won't impact existing memberships that have already been stacked, so you could buy a bunch of digital codes now and lock in the lower rate for three years.
Obviously it takes a hefty investment and commitment to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to go that route. You'd be looking at buying 12 of the 3-month codes linked above, which works out to $539.88. Yeah, that's a lot of money. On the flip side, however, 36 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at the new rate works out to $719.64, so you're looking at saving $179.76.
Three years is a long time and who knows how the membership plan will change during that time. That's something to keep in mind, as the savings breakdown could shift in either direction, pending price changes, new plan options, deals and discounts, and so forth. If you want to lock in a $15/month rate for the long haul, however, and are willing to spend big to do so, then there you go.
