What Is Xbox Live Gold And Is It Worth It
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If you have an Xbox One or Xbox 360, Microsofts Xbox Live Gold service is required to play multiplayer games online. A subscription costs $10 per month or $60 per year. Xbox Live Gold also includes additional benefits, like free games every month and discounts on some digital games.
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Heavy Criticism Spurs Microsoft To Reverse Course On The Same Day
Microsoft Corporation took less than 15 hours on Jan. 22, 2021, between announcing a large price hike for its Xbox Live Gold subscription plan and offering an apologetic retraction in the face of fierce and widespread criticism. Microsoft had planned to double the annual cost of Xbox Live Gold in select markets, including the United States. In its original announcement, Microsoft said: In many markets, the price of Xbox Live Gold has not changed for years and in some markets, it hasnt changed for over 10 years.
- Microsoft had planned to double the annual cost of Xbox Live Gold membership plans in select markets, including the United States.
- In the face of heavy criticism, Microsoft rescinded the price hikes on the same day that they were announced.
- Microsoft has retained incentives for Xbox Live Gold members to migrate to the costlier Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan.
What Are The Benefits Of Xbox Live Gold Membership
With an Xbox Live Gold membership, youll have access to a wide array of benefits and features that you wouldnt have with a regular membership. You still get to experience plenty without Gold, such as the ability to download apps such as Netflix and Youtube, and chatting with friends though youd be missing out on quite a lot of features.
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Save $21 Vs Monthly Plan
If you’re on the hunt for the best possible value, then this is the plan for you. Ultimate already saves you $5 a month by bundling a Gold and Game Pass subscription, and this six month subscription is on sale for over $20 less that it would cost you to pay monthly. At $69 total, that brings the per month cost down to $11.50 instead of the usual $15. Bargains on Ultimate subscriptions are pretty slim, so this is the best value you’ll find out there at the moment.
It is unfortunately out of stock at the moment, but hopefully we will see availability in the coming days.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Who Its For
For just a few extra bucks per month at $14.99, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gets you all of the perks of Xbox Live Gold and a whole lot more. The highest tier of Microsofts gaming subscription service, Game Pass Ultimate, provides access to hundreds of games that you can play on Xbox, PC and even your Android phone via cloud streaming.
Xbox Game Pass massive game library includes all Xbox Game Studios releases on the same day they hit shelves, meaning subscribers automatically get titles like Gears 5, Minecraft Dungeons and the upcoming Halo Infinite without having to shell out an extra $60 a pop. Thats not to mention the troves of big-name third-party titles on Game Pass including Doom Eternal, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and Destiny 2 as well as a huge collection of compelling indie titles like Donut County and Among Us.
If any of those games are of interest to you, subscribing to Game Pass Ultimate could save you a ton of money that youd otherwise spend buying them a la carte. And if you also play games on PC or want the ability to stream your Xbox games to your Android phone while on the go, Ultimate is a no-brainer.
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How Much Does Xbox Game Pass Cost
Every Xbox Game Pass kicks off with a 14-day free trial. After that, you can continue your Xbox Game Pass subscription for $9.99 per month.
That amounts to roughly $120 per year, which is just about the cost of two brand-new games. And since Microsoft gives its first-party games away to Xbox Game Pass members, youll get more than your moneys worth each yeareven if you ignore the 100-plus other games available on the service.
Microsoft Makes Shock U
ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES: One user wrote: These cards came in today for the new 6 months cards for Xbox Live Gold. Notice the price tag. The other said: I work at a certain video game retailer. This came in with an incoming shipment.
Currently, six months of Xbox Live Gold is priced at $40, three months costs $25 and a single month is $10. Last year Microsoft stopped offering 12-month subscriptions, which sparked speculation that it could be planning to make changes to the service although it insisted it had no such plans.
VGC has contacted Microsoft for comment and will update this story when we receive a response.
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To date, Xbox Live Gold has been required to play Xbox games online, including free-to-play titles like Warzone and Fortnite, which are available at no extra cost on rival platforms.
Gold also offers subscriber benefits such as purchase discounts and monthly free games that can be kept permanently.
In 2019, Microsoft began bundling Gold with its Xbox Game Pass subscription service in the form of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99/£10.99 per month and features on demand gaming and access to EA Play.
Its possible the company could be planning to roll some of Ultimates features into Gold as part of an increased price, but Microsoft has not suggested it has any plans to do so.
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Best Xbox Live Gold Deals In The Us
If you don’t want to commit, Microsoft will sell you a 1-month Xbox Live Gold subscription for $9.99. The membership renews at that monthly price unless you cancel it. That’s a hefty $120 annually.
The best-value way to get Xbox Live Gold directly from Microsoft is to pay quarterly. The company charges $24.99 for a 3-month membership. That cuts the cost down to under $100 per year.
You can save even more with a 6- or 12-month membership. Microsoft no longer sells them direct to US gamers, to encourage Xbox Live Gold members to upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate, but they’re still available from Amazon and CD Keys. They’re awesome value right now…
Xbox Live Gold: Price And Availability
Xbox Live Gold is available as a monthly subscription for $9.99 per month in the U.S. and over 40 additional territories. It’s also available in upfront installments for savings on the usual monthly rate, priced at $24.99 for three months, $39.99 for six months. Xbox Live Gold is available through a 12-month prepaid membership for $59.99 via third-party retailers like Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart, although no longer through Microsoft. This tiered pricing structure makes it better to purchase Xbox Live Gold in bulk upfront, over the monthly fee.
Microsoft’s all-inclusive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription includes Xbox Live Gold, too, coupled with Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, cloud gaming on mobile, and other perks like EA Play. The subscription is available for a flat $14.99 monthly rate in the U.S.
While Microsoft outlined plans to increase Xbox Live Gold pricing back in January 2021, it later reversed the decision following widespread backlash.
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Xbox Live Gold 2021 Review: Time To Bail After Free
Xbox Live Gold is your gateway to multiplayer on console, with almost two decades the go-to Xbox subscription. With more games than ever built with multiplayer in mind, the online membership ensures you’re getting the best value from your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S libraries.
But 2021 brings network-wide changes, shaking up the Xbox Live Gold offerings for the latest console generation. Microsoft has lifted the paywall for free-to-play content, axing the mandate for some of the most popular games on the market. Here’s what’s new with Xbox Live Gold for April 2021 and whether the subscription is right for you.
Microsoft Cancels Xbox Live Gold Price Increase Following Criticism
Prices will remain the same after Microsoft admits it ‘messed up.’
UPDATE 1/23: When Microsoft announced Xbox Live Gold subscription prices were set to increase yesterday, the news was met with a lot of criticism and anger. Microsoft was listening, and in a surprise move has decided to cancel the price hike as well as remove the need for a Gold subscription for free-to-play games.
A new statement posted on yesterday’s Xbox Wire post explains:
“We messed up today and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of gaming and we failed to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing.
Were turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience. For free-to-play games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox. We are working hard to deliver this change as soon as possible in the coming months.
If you are an Xbox Live Gold member already, you stay at your current price for renewal. New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today. In the US, $9.99 for 1-month, $24.99 for 3-months, $39.99 for 6-months and $59.99 for retail 12-months.
Thank you.”
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Take Care Of Your Gaming Needs Cheaper
As for the remaining games, Microsoft Xbox subscription card owners get exclusive discounts on the digital Xbox Live marketplace, therefore you can buy games and DLC significantly cheaper, among dozens of other things: TV shows, movies, music, apps, and services. If the Xbox Live Gold membership card 3 months key is not enough, keep in mind that we offer a rich selection Xbox Live memberships, differing in their time-period and pricing plenty to choose from! Buy Xbox Live Gold cheaper to enjoy the enthralling advantages the service comes with, so you can utilize the full potential of Xbox consoles!
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How Much Is An Xbox Network Subscription
The basic Xbox Network subscription is free. Anyone can sign up for an Xbox Network account. If you want more perks and features, you’ll need to purchase a Gold account subscription.
Accessing the Xbox Network on the original Xbox console is no longer available. To use the Xbox Network, you must have an Xbox 360 or Xbox One as well as a broadband internet service provider.
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What Is Xbox All Access
Xbox All Access is a monthly installment payment option for a new Xbox Series S or X. Customers can sign up for the plan to pay $35 a month for an Xbox Series X or $25 a month for an Xbox Series S. Both plans include 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. There are no upfront fees and 0% APR. Best Buy, GameStop, Microsoft Store, Target and Walmart are all participants in the program, however, the trick is to sign up when consoles are available. If youre still on the hunt for an Xbox Series X or S, will have the latest restock updates for you.
How Does Games With Gold Work
Every month, Microsoft offers several free games through its Games With Gold service. While these games are availablefor the entire month or just for two weeks, depending on the gameyou can choose to redeem them via the website or on your Xbox console. You can then downloadand keepthe game for free.
If you dont redeem the game during its free time period, you dont get it for free. This means you wont get any of the previous Games With Gold for free when you subscribe. It also means that, if you dont stay on top of the free game offers, youll miss some games and wont get them for free. However, people who have been members for a long time may have libraries full of hundreds of games they got for free, if theyre diligent.
On an Xbox One, once youve redeemed a free game, you can download and play it whenever you like, foreveras long as you have an active subscription. If your subscription lapses, you wont be able to play the game anymore. If you restart your subscription, youll regain access to all the games you previously redeemed.
On an Xbox 360, once youre redeemed a free game, its yours to play forevereven if your subscription lapses.
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Xbox Live Gold Review:
Xbox Live Gold Subscription
Bottom line: Xbox Live Gold remains a staple essential when using Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S online unless exclusively tied up in free-to-play titles. The value in the subscription comes entirely from its multiplayer perks, with Gold-exclusive rewards on the decline in 2021.
What Comes With A Free Xbox Network Account
When you register your Xbox Network account, you’ll choose a nickname , which is how you will be known to other people in any games you play. You can have friends lists to keep in touch with real-life friends or new people you meet online you like to play with.
The free Xbox Network service gives you access to voice chat as well as the Xbox Marketplace. You can’t play most Xbox games online without a Gold subscription, but online multiplayer is available for free-to-play games. You can use all of the various video apps like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime as well.
That said, you don’t need an Xbox game console to take advantage of the Xbox Network. Since Microsoft also makes Windows, your Xbox Network account will automatically integrate with many PC games. That way, you can share your achievements and utilize other social features to interact with fellow gamers.
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Xbox Game Pass Games List
Xbox Game Pass comes with a library of over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. Games come and go each month on the service, just like movies and TV shows on Netflix. But so far, Microsoft has kept the total number of available titles in the 100-200 range.
What kind of games are we talking about? The catalog includes a broad spectrum of games. You have indie games like Braid and Spelunky, middle-ware games like Recore, and AAA games like Resident Evil 6. Since the number of games on the service is only a fraction of the games available, youre not likely to find any one particular game youre looking for. But if youre cool with browsing the selections before picking the next game you want to play, that shouldnt be a problem.
Heres a sampling of some of the Xbox One games available in January 2018:
Xbox Live Gold Annual Subscription Price Is Doubling
Microsoft announces that Xbox Live Gold subscription prices will soon increase. A years worth of the online service will cost $120 instead of $60.
Xbox fans may want to rethink their subscriptions after hearing Microsofts latest announcement. The company revealed on Friday that Xboxs online service, Xbox Live Gold, will soon receive a price increase. The adjustment will set a 6-month subscription at $59.99, meaning that a years worth of the service will cost $119.98 double the price of what a years worth of Xbox Live Gold used to cost.
An Xbox Live Gold subscription gives players access to online multiplayer, plus exclusive member discounts in the Microsoft Store and a selection of free Xbox Live Gold games. As it stands, there are a few payment options available for Xbox Live Gold, and these prices had remained unchanged for about a decade. One month costs $9.99, while a three-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold costs $24.99 and a six-month subscription costs $39.99. Microsoft used to offer a year-long subscription to Xbox Live Gold for $59.99, but the option was discontinued last year.
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Best Xbox Live Gold Deals For December 2021
In order to maximize some games, you need to take time to play their online multiplayer modes. However, gamers who own the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the all-new Xbox Series X will need to have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription. For savings so that your budget to buy games will remain unscathed, weve scoured the web and rounded up all the best Xbox Live Gold sales in one place, including Xbox Live Gold 1-Month, Xbox Live Gold 3-Month, and Xbox Live Gold 6-Month subscriptions. You should also check out the 12-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which offers more benefits beyond Xbox Live Gold membership.
Xbox Series X And Series S
Note If you cant locate Store, scroll down to Add more on the Home screen and select the Store tile. Then select Add to Home.
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