Xbox Game Pass $1 deal has gotten a little worse

The finest Xbox Game Pass deal just got a lot worse, as Microsoft's $1 introductory offer now only allows new customers to try out the program for 14 days rather…

By Pavan Gunagi

August 13, 2023

3 min read

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The finest Xbox Game Pass deal just got a lot worse, as Microsoft’s $1 introductory offer now only allows new customers to try out the program for 14 days rather than a full month. Back in March, Microsoft declared it quits on the long-running Xbox Game Pass promotion, only to reverse its decision in early August.

Microsoft’s choice to resurrect the finest Xbox Game Pass bargain in July already came with a major caveat: not only is the offer now only available to new subscribers, but the conversion ratio for users transferring from Xbox Live Gold has been modified from 1:1 to 3:2. 60 days of Xbox Live Gold, for example, now only translates to 40 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Game Pass $1 offer is now only for 14 days instead of 1 month https://t.co/8tUcvdYHX3 https://t.co/YyikFfWP0T pic.twitter.com/TujfohoxJ3
— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 8, 2023

Microsoft has reduced its $1 offer again, cutting its duration in half to just two weeks. The offer is still valid for Xbox Game Pass for PC and the Ultimate tier of the program, which are normally $9.99 and $16.99 per month, respectively. The adjustment was implemented quietly, as is normal for such a change.

This is the second piece of bad news for prospective Xbox Game Pass customers in as many months; when the firm resurrected the now-devalued $1 deal, it also raised the price of Xbox Game Pass overall.

The service’s console tier increased from $9.99 to $10.99 per month, marking the first price increase in its history. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is now $16.99 per month, a $2 increase from its previous pricing. The modification does not affect the $9.99-per-month PC-only tier. Existing subscribers have yet to see the revised rate, which is set to take effect on August 13.

While the fact that the best Xbox Game Pass bargain recently become a lot worse is not a good thing for customers, it does indicate that Microsoft’s subscription program is growing. After all, the internet titan would be unlikely to feel comfortable downgrading its platform’s major starting offer if it wasn’t convinced that its ever-growing content library and a wide range of advantages like discounts and free games could speak for themselves. As a result, it’s unclear whether this change will have any impact on the platform’s user acquisition rate.