Game Pass gets cheaper, and PS Plus looks awkward next to it
Microsoft cut the monthly price of Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on April 21, 2026, even as Call of Duty moved off the service as a day-one release.
Microsoft has lowered the monthly price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on April 21, 2026, a move that puts fresh pressure on Sony’s subscription pitch.
The new prices bring Game Pass Ultimate down from $29.99 / £22.99 to $22.99 / £16.99, while PC Game Pass falls from $16.49 / £13.49 to $13.99 / £10.99. That leaves the service much closer to the cost of Sony’s highest tier, PS Plus Premium, which currently sits at $17.99 / £13.49 a month.
The timing matters because the price cut comes with a trade-off. Microsoft tied the reduction to Call of Duty no longer being included as a day-one Game Pass release. In other words, subscribers are paying less, but they are also losing one of the service’s biggest draws.
That makes the comparison with PlayStation harder to ignore. Sony’s premium subscription plan has faced plenty of questions around its library and long-term value, and Game Pass is now back in the conversation for a very different reason. Microsoft had raised Game Pass prices last October, so this reversal also signals a change in direction under Xbox’s new leadership.
The bigger question is whether the lower monthly cost makes the service easier to justify for players who do not care about day-one blockbuster launches. For anyone weighing PlayStation against Xbox right now, the value debate just got a lot messier.
Tell us what you think in the comments, and join us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
