Microsoft has kicked off October by announcing a significant price rise for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which comes just over a year after the last price rise for the subscription service.

However, there are some painful price increases here. The high-end plan, Game Pass Ultimate now costs $30 per month. That’s a 50 percent price increase from the previous $20 per month, and there’s no annual or quarterly option available to make that sting less.

The combination of steady revenue growth, expanding developer participation, and new device partnerships points to Xbox Game Pass playing an even more prominent role in Microsoft's