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After the company's latest declaration of a major restructuring of its Game Pass tiers, the tech giant has explained what these changes signify for players who currently hold an legacy Console subscription in effect. According to Xbox, subscribers who presently holds a grandfathered Console subscription with recurring payments turned on will not be affected by the new pricing changes.

Latest Updates to Xbox Game Pass Subscription Plans

Earlier this week, Xbox revealed that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be priced at $29.99 monthly, a controversial move among members. This change comes with two renamed options—Premium and Essential—which alter the service's offerings and do not include day-one game releases. This shift followed a prior change in last year, which phased out the Console plan in exchange for Core and Standard levels. At that time, Xbox permitted current Console subscribers to keep their subscription at the unchanged monthly rate of $10.99 with all perks, including access to games on launch day.

Subscribers who are currently subscribed to Xbox Game Pass for Console and have automatic payment renewal enabled can maintain their membership,” a representative explained. “If players disable recurring payments, or their subscription lapses, they will need to select between the Essential, Premium, Ultimate, or PC Game Pass plans when resubscribing.”

Benefits and Pricing Remain Unchanged

The perks and pricing of the legacy subscription will not be changing, as confirmed by Xbox: “New releases are accessible with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass plans, as well as for subscribers who continue to hold an active Console subscription. Players who are presently enrolled in Xbox Game Pass for Console and have recurring billing enabled can continue their membership at $10.99 per month.”

When asked, a company representative did not confirm for what duration grandfathered Console plans will remain active for current subscribers.

Steps to Verify If You Have a Console Plan

• Go to the Game Pass website and log in with your Microsoft account.
• Click your username in the top right corner of the screen once logged in.
• Click on “Account Settings.”
• If you see “Console subscription” listed as an current plan, you can still get day-one games for $11 a month as long as recurring payments are turned on.

Make sure to verify if you still have this exclusive benefit before canceling your subscription, as it will be impossible to rejoin the plan once you opt out.