Xbox Boss Says Game Pass Is Too Expensive In Leaked Microsoft Memo

If you feel that Microsoft's Game Pass subscription tiers have become too expensive these days, you'll be delighted to learn that Asha Sharma, the new chief of Xbox, agrees with you.

She said as much in an internal memo to Xbox employees obtained by The Verge, and suggested that the current pricing model will be overhauled in some fashion. Talk about making a splash in her new role.

Sharma replaced the longtime face of Xbox, Phil Spencer, just under two months ago amid a major shakeup to the division that also saw Xbox President Sarah Bond depart the company. Since taking the reins, Sharma has made a series of crowd-pleasing statements and moves, such as committing to "the return of Xbox" starting with the console, and ending the 'This is an Xbox' campaign that spawned a series of unflattering memes.

Sharma's also made quick work of building excitement for what's to come by teasing Project Helix, Microsoft's next-generation dedicated game console, at GDC. Now she's turning her attention to revamping Xbox Game Pass, or so it would appear.

Whether the internal memo amounts to a true leak or a strategic ploy to keep gamers engaged and excited is somewhat irrelevant. Of bigger important is the message, and Sharma states in no uncertain terms that "Game Pass has become too expensive for players."

"Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one. Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system, which will take time to test and learn around," Sharma wrote.

Indeed, Xbox Game Pass is not the value proposition that it once offered go gamers. Last year, Microsoft overhauled its Game Pass subscription tiers, part of which entailed jacking up the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $29.99 per month, up from $19.99 per month after Microsoft had already raised the price from $16.99 per month in 2024..

At its current pricing, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription costs right around $360 for a full year. That affords access to over 500 games on Xbox, PC, and other supported days, as well as perks like being able to play new games on day one. But there's no getting around the fact that the top tier is pricey.

This is not the first we're hearing of Sharma wanting to retool Xbox Game Pass. She discussed potential changes being kicked around with The Information a couple of weeks ago, one of which is the possibility of bundling Netflix.

We'll have to wait and see what actually transpires, but at least according to the leaked memo, Xbox Game Pass will become cheaper at some point.