Changes coming to Game Pass on 12 September 2024:
thats a shame.
the gamespass additions kinda been a bit lackluster lately, probably will just drop it after my current membership stacked years expires.
Looks like I'll have to cut back on 1 coffee a month to make up the difference.
I think it was inevitable.
Where are you getting coffee that's only $4?
Plenty of places in Melbourne have $4 coffee ;)
Or if you just want a caffeine hit, there is always 7 Eleven or Coles for $1.50 - $2 each
Plenty of places in Melbourne have $4 coffee ;)
Can you name a few? I haven't seen a barista made coffee sold under $5 for few years around Melb.
@kaleidoscope: Easy as pie.
Otherside Coffee $3.40 (Collins St)
Heart of Carlton $4 (Carlton)
Cafe Perri $3 (Carnegie)
As mentioned above by Bozman, Monacos Delicatessen $2.50 (Camberwell)
Gotta shop around more buddy, pull out that OzBargainer power move ;)
Servo
13 month cap down from 36 months. Killing us OzBargainers.
Edit: after the 18th Sept
my ultimate stack expires January 2026, won't be able to get regional conversion price like my last 36 months was under $200
hopefully some good deals pop up to extend my membership 36 months before September
worst case scenario
22.95x36= $826.2
18.95x36= $682.2
probably not enough savings to risk chance i may not be interested in gaming then
$48/yr increase
I've never really seen any deals for current subscribers to extend; only really seen the converting Core Game pass to ultimate with VPN
realising probably worth wait, conversions may exist in 2026, just deals not as sweet but better than extending my current subscription
otherwise buying with discounted gift cards, prepaid debit cards and cashbacks might be able to find a way to squeeze an extra 10-20% off, if a good stack pops up in combination with 200k MS reward points for whatever they worth
think i recall seeing GPU australia keys from resellers but was never anything noteworthy in comparison to these regional/core/live conversions
Damn, current sub expires January 29, 2025
Mid Dec 2024 expiry for me…i set and forget this years ago with the 3 year VPN hack back in 2021 …im a casual gamer out of the loop with all this these days…i do want to keep basic online play on tap as i like the option for Street fighter and halo battles when time allows - is my only option for this now a 79 (now 89) 12 month xbox core card from JB HIFI? i used to get 12 months xbox live from ozgameshop for $50 :(
I got my Xbox Game Pass Ultimate until Dec 2025. If I buy an Xbox Game Pass Core 12 Months, can I convert (3:2) them into my current subscription?
Nope. I think the ratio is around 100 days for current subs
Thanks
I've been topping up with 3 month core, which gets 50 days for existing subscriptions
Thanks
I do this too with MS reward points. I wonder how many points it would require after the price increase.
Yeah thanks for this. Just bought 5x3months of core from Eneba, which converts to a bit over 8 months, for $97 (around $12 a month). Not crazy cheap (compared to original conversions) but $12 is fine for me and a lot cheaper than $23
It was decent when it was cheap but reality is the only games I play are ones I paid for eg not on gamepass so I'm cancelling that ass
I kind of think MS doesn't get the cross over where there aren't that many hardcore gamers as a percentage of the population that will still this price as value.
Sure, when it was cheap, casuals can try out new games for a bit of fun, but they aren't paying $275 p.a. because maybe they will like a new game.
Yeah even without the increase, my sub expires in 3 months and I wasn't interesting to renew.
I end up playing only some of the big releases (generally day 1 games) and the rest is indie I'm not interested in or older titles I already own.
The biggest savings from game pass have actually been it's use as a demo service, because it's saved been wasting money on games like Diablo 4, first Forza motorsport, etc games that cost like $100 that I would have regretted buying.
Can you use Microsoft rewards to buy a pass now and activate it later? From memory it gives a code, but I don't know how fast it expires. I figure the conversion for them will go up as well, so I'd like to buy now if I can.
Still got a year to go on mine. Paid $90 for 3 years.
Then what happens? Will you pay $275+ for 1 year?
when it runs out I have a lot of old games to play.
Wow M$ really don't want people to use xbox do they?
Price increase with no more exclusives or new 1st party games anytime soon.
Remember the days when Xbox Game Pass PC was $6
I member
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
It's too bad. Cloud gaming is useful, playing my xbox at home in bed on my laptop. But for $23/mth?
Don't play on PC.
On console I wonder how much I play, I did all the assasins creed, but only cuz they're free, frankly they are very similar.
Some remakes, and really can get those 2nd hand. Don't play 1st person games.
If an average game is 60-80 then I guess I don't play a game every 3mth.
You can create your own cloud gaming server and pay $13 to still have game pass access. Sunshine with moonlight is the way.
you mean Sunshine with moonlight supports xbox games?
Unfortunate but not unexpected.
With the rate games fall in prices now days, two months of games pass is quickly approaching the price of a pretty recent release given so many will drop to that $50ish mark. Three months tops in most cases.
Getting debatable if GamePass is the cheapest way to go, especially when physical copies can go for less than digital and be resold if you truely don’t want to own the title.
If you plan to keep it, probably a good idea to stock up on prepaid cards now (and apply them before the 13month cap arrives).
Glad i just converted the prepaid cards so my kids can get through to April 26. Anyone seen any Aus pricing announced on the new 'Standard' tier that will sit between Core and Ultimate?
My current sub is up in mid 2025, given it was fully paid for two and a bit years ago it currently feels "free" (as it has every time I've run the three year combo).
I don't think I will keep it doing at those rates. I don't need another monthly sub (yes I could buy annual), but I really don't game on the XBox much anymore and don't really play online when I do. I like the Forza series and have bought each of them outright (even though I had gamepass), so as long as I can still fully play the game without any subscription that's all I really want. And should I ever feel the need, I can always sign up for a month when I'm on holidays. That said, one of my kids plays with it too… will have to see what's what there. There is a bunch of content on there I'll have to go through and check what is currently installed and work out how much of it is gamepass.
Might have to look into the whole primary/home console sharing thing too and see if that's still a viable option with a trusted friend/family member:
https://support.xbox.com/en-AU/help/hardware-network/console…
What's the best price currently to top up then?
https://www.cjs-cdkeys.com/products/Xbox-Game-Pass-Ultimate-12-Month-CD-Key-(Digital-Download).html
This global key is $180 for 12 months - $14.92/month
Eneba.com has global “core” 3 month cards for about $20 (after service fees) that convert to 52 days of ultimate when redeemed. About $140AUD for 12 months of ultimate.
Just make sure to get the global key.
Yeah this is what I did. Bought in USD and found a discount code. 5x3months (converted to 5x50 days) for $97, is a little bit over $12/month
What is the discount code you found?
@Guybrush57: This is what I used - not sure if it is still valid. Saved about $5-6 USD. "GGD16GXH8Y" (just found from a google search)
12 months core cards are 80 from JB/amazon etc? no saving on 3 months cards @ $20 unless im missing something?
There is a different conversion between 3 months and 12 months. I'll see if I can't find the link
@beaver2233: not even sure ongoing, committed UGP is worth it…i mean i got 3 years for like $120 total which is great value of course. but MS have stamped out the VPN and stacking hacks from what i understand?
for casual gamers like me who like the option for online play and dont really care about having a constant flow of new games the $80 per year for core is the best way to go?
And if you want to sign up for a month here and there for AAA releases on GPU like Halo/Gears of War/Ass Creed/COD Blops etc etc for a playthrough then that may be the way to go?
@pointless martyr: Well yeah that's up to you as an individual gamer/person. For me, who spends a fair amount of their life gaming. I'm happy to pay $12/month
So what's the best method going forwards if I still want GPU in the future? My current GPU subscription expires in June 2026.
Do I buy more Game Pass Core now and convert to Ultimate before 18th September?
We use GPU as a family so that we can play together at home cross-platform on 2 PCs and 1 Series X. We had a great sesh of Deep Rock Galactic yesterday. Do you have any other game recommendations for cross-platform games for parents and mid-teens to play together?
I followed advice to let my current membership expire and then activate prepaid Core, and then activate a month of Ultimate to get the best conversion ratio. Apparently the ratio is nowhere near as good if you convert Core when your existing Ultimate has not yet expired.
What was the conversion rate in your case ?
I got 2 months of Ultimate for every 3 months of Core
If I purchase annual codes for Game Pass Core now (from JB Hi Fi or Amazon), does it have an expiry date on it? Can I buy Core codes now, then activate it in June 2026?
Looks like the AU prices have increased today - Ultimate is showing as $22.95 / month now.
https://www.xbox.com/en-AU/xbox-game-pass#join
Already increased since yesterday for the new member/subscription.
My gpu was due to expire in april 2026, i purchased 2 x 12 month core india sub codes from cjs-cdkeys for around $40 each and an india gpu 3 month india from mtc game to top it up to july 2027 & redeemed successfully on my account using vpn. I tested with a 1 month india code first from g2a just to make sure first before i bought the other codes though. All works fine & my sub expires July 2027.
Looks like I just found an expense to cut. seeya later xbox.
Yep, was also just about to post this… $23 a month… yikes. I guess I’m out. Looks like I’m going back to core and any games I want, I’ll just have to buy.
And where I read, stacking subscriptions was capped at 36 months, not 13.Can’t find it now that I go looking for it, but saw the part that after 18/9 that you will only be able to stack 13 months, but it doesn’t affect any stacking to your account prior to this date.