US retailers keep Game Pass Ultimate at $19.99

Despite Microsoft raising the price of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription from $19.99 to $29.99 per month, major North American retailers are keeping the old price, which is a temporary relief for consumers. GameStop publicly confirmed that they will continue selling the Ultimate at the old price, both "in-store and online".

The most critical point of this situation is the lack of transparency on the part of the retailers about the reason for maintaining the price. Although GameStop has spoken out on Twitter/X, other major companies like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are also still listing the subscription at $19.99, without commenting on the strategy.

Xbox fans have suggested a logistical explanation: retailers may simply be selling the existing stock of prepaid codes that were originally issued with a $19.99 value. This is critical information, as physical Game Pass cards are typically printed with their value, making it logistically impractical to increase the price of remaining stock.

However, the situation regarding online sales is less clear. Retailers typically distribute digital codes via automated systems, where prices could be more easily adjusted if a new stock were issued by Microsoft. The uncertainty about online stock and whether the codes were provided before or after Microsoft's price adjustment keeps the longevity of this offer uncertain.

The positive side, from a market perspective, is the direct impact on the consumer: interest in prepaid codes at the old prices has increased dramatically after Microsoft's announcement, with subscribers looking for ways to avoid the monthly $10 increase.

Without an official clarification from retailers beyond GameStop, it remains unclear whether the unchanged price is the result of an old inventory logistics or a deliberate and aggressive decision to attract customers amid the Microsoft controversy. Microsoft raised the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $29.99, but GameStop and other retailers continue to offer the service for $19.99 indefinitely.