Game Pass May Let Subscribers Build Their Own Plan
Xbox is reportedly planning to move Game Pass away from fixed tiers to a flexible model where subscribers pick individual features as add-ons.
Merhabyte Newsdesk · · 2 min read
Microsoft is reportedly preparing a fundamental change to Game Pass. According to people familiar with the matter, Xbox is working on a system in which subscribers would build their own plan rather than choose from ready-made bundles. In the structure described, features such as console games, cloud gaming and online multiplayer would be offered as separate add-ons.
Xbox has been in constant flux since Asha Sharma took over as CEO in February. Microsoft's gaming division has seen layoffs, studio sales and adjustments to core products and services. As Sharma works to turn the brand into a sustainable business, the flexibility plan for Game Pass stands out as one of the larger changes now under discussion.
How the current Game Pass tiers work
Game Pass today has four main tiers. Ultimate, at $23 a month, offers a library of more than 500 games, day-one releases, Fortnite Crew, EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics subscriptions bundled in, online multiplayer and up to 15 hours of cloud streaming. The $15 Premium tier includes more than 200 games, online multiplayer and up to 10 hours of streaming.
The $10 Essential tier gives more than 50 games, online multiplayer and up to five hours of streaming. The $14 PC Game Pass covers more than 300 PC games, day-one releases and an EA Play subscription. Xbox previously sold online play as a separate Xbox Live Gold subscription; that benefit was folded into the Game Pass lineup in 2023 under the name Game Pass Core, which is now called Essential. One of the first steps announced after Sharma took the job was a price cut for the most expensive tier, Ultimate.
Signs pointing to an à la carte model
The idea of a flexible Game Pass first surfaced in April. A report at the time said Xbox was aiming for a version in which users could decide for themselves which content bundles appear in their plan. Removing bundled subscriptions such as Fortnite Crew, for example, could make it possible to lower Game Pass's price.
The idea became more concrete with a profile of Sharma published in October 2026. According to people familiar with the matter, Xbox plans to rebuild Game Pass as a tiered structure in which console games, cloud gaming and multiplayer are add-ons chosen by the user. How the system would work in practice is not yet clear.
What it could mean for subscribers
Xbox appears open to giving customers more ways to pay for its services. The company has begun previewing a method that lets even non-subscribers pay for game streaming. Splitting the rest of the subscription into optional, separately priced pieces will not necessarily make things easier for Xbox owners, but it could give them more control over pricing.
That control may matter more at a time when game and console prices keep rising. The new model could make Game Pass more attractive and more affordable for both new and existing subscribers, though whether it alone can change the company's trajectory remains uncertain. Until the details are settled, it is hard to say how much a flexible structure would actually save.
