Former PlayStation leader Shuhei Yoshida has expressed admiration for Microsoft’s initiative to debut Xbox titles on the PS Store. However, he finds the recent hike in Xbox Game Pass pricing perplexing. Microsoft has unveiled plans to increase the cost of Xbox Game Pass, with the premium tier rising from $20 to $30 per month as part of a broader assessment of the service. This move hasn’t been received positively, and even other former industry executives have voiced their skepticism. In fact, one of the co-founders of Xbox labeled it a “betrayal” in his extensive critique of Microsoft’s current stance.
Yoshida has joined the chorus of critics, despite generally appreciating Xbox’s current strategy.
“Greed over gaming”: Game Pass price hike slammed by Xbox co-founder as a “betrayal” to fans, remarks the company has “thrown away one of their last advantages.”
In the wake of the Xbox Game Pass price increase, Microsoft has made efforts to defend its decision, touting additional day-one releases and claiming enhanced “value.”
“Two words: cancel now” – Xbox Game Pass cancellations appear to spike following Microsoft’s tone-deaf message touting “more rewards” amidst a 50% price surge, with GameStop even chiming in: “$29.99 every month. Own nothing.”
During a recent episode of the Friends Per Second podcast, Yoshida noted, “It seems they all shifted their strategy to PC, which makes sense given they have the Windows ecosystem and are now multi-platform.” He further claimed, “Microsoft is the leading publisher on the PlayStation platform.” This assertion is backed by statistics from Naella, showing Microsoft as the largest source of pre-orders and early installs on the PlayStation Store for the first quarter of 2025—a commendable achievement considering the competitive landscape.
“They’ve heavily invested in Game Pass. I fail to understand the reasoning behind such a significant price increase,” he remarked. “Their platform strategy appears to have diverged entirely.” His confusion aligns with public sentiment, as the announcement has led to a noticeable uptick in cancellations, sparking ongoing discussions. Only time will reveal whether this strategy will yield benefits for Microsoft and how they will adapt moving forward.
Additionally, it seems Xbox has quietly removed the Call of Duty discount for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, even as they implement this $10 price increase.