GameStop Keeps Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $19.99 While Microsoft Pushes Price to $29.99

GameStop has stepped into the spotlight with a move that’s caught the attention of gamers and bargain hunters alike: the retailer announced it will continue selling Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions for $19.99 per month, even after Microsoft officially raised the price to $29.99. While the tech giant is reshaping its subscription tiers and hiking up prices, GameStop’s choice – confirmed publicly on its Twitter/X account – signals a rare win for consumers in an era where streaming and subscription costs seem to climb almost monthly.

GameStop isn’t entirely alone in holding the line.

Major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are also still listing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at the old $19.99 price. The difference, however, is that GameStop has publicly confirmed the continuation, while others have remained quiet, simply showing the old pricing without offering explanations or statements. This has made GameStop’s stance especially noticeable, positioning it as the retailer most openly willing to challenge or at least sidestep Microsoft’s changes.

One plausible explanation is logistics: retailers might be selling off stock of prepaid codes originally issued at the lower $19.99 rate. For physical cards, this makes perfect sense – after all, the value is printed directly onto them, making a sudden price jump tricky. But the situation becomes murkier with digital codes. Digital distribution is typically managed through automated systems, which could in theory be adjusted swiftly to reflect new pricing if Microsoft wanted. That ambiguity leaves customers guessing whether GameStop’s position is intentional strategy, slow-moving logistics, or a combination of both.

Regardless of the reason, consumer interest has surged. Microsoft’s announcement sparked a rush of subscribers eager to secure prepaid codes at the old rate. Since Game Pass memberships can be stacked up to 36 months on a single account, many gamers quickly moved to lock in long-term subscriptions before the new price fully ripples across all retailers. Three years at the old rate comes to $719.88 – still a serious upfront cost, but it represents a substantial saving of nearly $360 compared to paying the new monthly rate of $29.99, which would total a staggering $1,079.64 over the same period. Even shorter commitments of three or six months could help players stretch their budgets further, especially in a time where game prices and hardware costs are also rising.

This isn’t the first time Game Pass prices have shifted, but it’s by far the most dramatic. In July 2024, Microsoft bumped the Ultimate subscription in the US from $16.99 to $19.99, an increase of about 18%. Now, just over a year later, the service has leapt another 50%, adding $120 annually to the cost for devoted subscribers. Microsoft attempted to soften the blow by expanding the library, adding over 45 new titles to Game Pass alongside the announcement. Still, the sticker shock is hard to ignore.

For some, the value of Game Pass remains undeniable – it offers access to hundreds of titles, day-one releases, and cross-platform play across Xbox and PC. Yet others argue that the savings don’t justify the recurring expense, especially as subscription fatigue sets in. Competing platforms like Steam, GOG, and Epic often offer permanent ownership of games at discounted prices, and the near-infinite back catalog of PC titles dwarfs what Game Pass can deliver. The debate over value versus convenience is intensifying, and GameStop’s decision has only poured more fuel onto it.

In the end, GameStop’s move to keep prices at $19.99 – whether temporary or strategic – feels like a small consumer victory in the face of industry-wide price hikes. Whether Microsoft clamps down on these discounted codes or lets the market balance itself remains to be seen. For now, savvy gamers know there’s an opportunity to save, and many are racing to seize it before the window closes.