Xbox Game Pass Hidden Price Increase Slammed By Frustrated Gamers

Xbox Game Pass subscribers have been growing increasingly frustrated with recent price increases across the entire service. After last year's restructuring of the subscription model, which ultimately resulted in players paying more every month regardless of their membership tier, gamers are beginning to lose patience for additional hidden costs.

According to user reports (via Reddit), the listing for Forza Horizon 6's Premium upgrade on Xbox Game Pass is much higher than the cost of typical Premium version upgrades, indicating a troubling trend that fans like Ill_Outcome_375 are calling a "rip off." Currently, the Premium upgrade version of Forza 6 is listed at roughly $60.00 compared to Forza 5's Premium upgrade $40 price tag, with the full Premium version listed at roughly $120.

Forza 6 Premium Will Cost Nearly Double The Standard Amount

Xbox Game Pass subscribers are genuinely concerned after seeing the recent price increase for Forza 6's Premium upgrade, as it could be an indicator that the recent increases in game costs are now extending to upgrades as well. The Forza 6 Premium version is almost $120 compared to the Standard version's cost of just $70, with the upgrade itself listed at $60.

For many fans, it's disturbing to see an upgrade listed at such a high price, especially for subscribers who are already paying for a monthly membership on Xbox Game Pass. Ultimately, it's simply not worth it for many players to fork out the additional money for minimal benefits, and it's unclear if increased prices on upgrades will be a larger trend on major AAA releases on the service going forward.

Some fans on Reddit relent, with users like ActivateTheQuasars stating, "I just can't justify spending £60 on the add-on when I could own the game instead," and players like Plutuserix saying, "Upgrades at this price are just stupid. I'll stick to the base game."

Upgrades Aren't Usually This Expensive

Is $60 The New Going Rate For Premium Upgrades?

While Premium upgrades have always been the "luxury" version of games and have always come with a high price tag, players are now looking at a situation where the Premium upgrades to their favorite games will cost nearly as much as the standard version itself. The question many gamers are asking is whether the benefits included in Premium upgrades substantiate the price hike.

Hidden costs have become a pain point for many Xbox Game Pass subscribers, with many members pointing to recent subscription model adjustments as a somewhat sneaky way of forcing players to pay more for a monthly membership. The price hike on Premium upgrades could signal another shifty move on Xbox's part as a workaround to avoid increasing costs of the standard version of games.

By jacking up upgrade prices, Xbox avoids ridicule by keeping the Standard version at the normal cost of around $60–70, but can still make up the extra profit by increasing the cost of upgrades by 30–40%. Xbox Game Pass users can see through the facade, but it's very likely that this is just the beginning when it comes to hidden costs on the service.