Xbox Game Pass may get new ‘Starter Edition’ tier

Xbox Game Pass may soon expand its lineup with a new subscription option, the ‘Starter Edition’. This upgrade, which leaked via social media, would reportedly let users access a selection of games and extra services at a lower price.

What is the ‘Starter Edition’?

The ‘Starter Edition’ of Xbox Game Pass is believed to be a bundle that includes a popular service: Discord Nitro. Users would reportedly get 10 hours of Xbox Cloud Gaming per month, along with access to more than 50 curated Xbox Game Pass titles, including popular games such as Fallout 4 and Stardew Valley.

So far, Xbox Game Pass has four subscription tiers: Essential, Extra, Ultimate, and the potential Starter Edition. The Essential tier starts at $9.99 per month, while the Ultimate tier costs $22.99 per month. Ultimate subscribers also get access to various Day One titles, including the upcoming releases Tears of Metal and Forza Horizon 6.

Current subscription costs

Alongside the new Starter Edition plans, recent price cuts have also been introduced for the PC and Ultimate versions of Xbox Game Pass. On 21 April 2026, the Ultimate tier was reduced from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, and PC Game Pass dropped from $16.99 to $13.99 per month. However, this came with a major change: future Call of Duty games will no longer be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch, but will arrive a year later at no extra cost.

Game Pass subsidy options

The ‘Starter Edition’ plans may be a response to comments from Asha Sharma, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, who said Xbox Game Pass may be becoming too expensive for some players. It’s also possible that Xbox will offer more ways to customize subscriptions in the future, such as a ‘Pick Your Own Plan’ feature that would let users add extras to their monthly subscription, like game time for World of Warcraft or access to streaming services such as Netflix.

Expected changes for 2026

With these changes, 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for gamers who use Xbox Game Pass. Xbox appears to be rethinking its approach to subscription models and how it can improve its popular Game Pass system to attract more subscribers. It’s still unclear what other plans are in store, but the year is likely to be packed with action for Xbox fans.