On the verge of increasing the prices of its Xbox Live Gold subscription, Microsoft finally gave up in front of the outcry of the players. As if to be forgiven, he took the opportunity to remove the obligation to subscribe for free to play.
Microsoft Xbox Series X Launch price €499.99
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Amazon
499,99
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Fnac.com 499,99
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Boulanger.com 499,99
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Darty.com 499,99
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Cdiscount 499,99
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Micromania 499,99
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reBuy
605,99
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Asgoodasnew.fr 609,00
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LDLC
610,90
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Fnac.com Marketplace occasion
769,98
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eBay 700,00
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reBuy
258,99
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Grosbill 289,99
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Amazon Marketplace occasion
289,99
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Fnac.com Marketplace occasion
291,62
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Cybertek
297,98
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Carrefour Shopping
299,95
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Carrefour 299,95
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Amazon
299,99
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Fnac.com 299,99
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Boulanger.com 299,99
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Darty.com 299,99
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Micromania 299,99
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Cdiscount 304,98
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Electro Depot
309,41
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Ubaldi 311,00
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Amazon Marketplace
317,95
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LDLC
319,90
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Topbiz.fr 331,29
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eBay 366,92
Indispensable for playing online on Microsoft consoles – Sony and Nintendo doing the same on their respective consoles – the Xbox Live Gold subscription currently costs €6,99/month (€19,99 for 3 months, €29,99 for 6 months or €59,99/year) and $9,99/month ($24,99 for 3 months, $39,99 for 6 months and $59,99/year). However, Microsoft intended to increase its prices, announcing last week - for the United States at first - a move to $10,99/month, $29,99 for 3 months and, above all, 59,99, $6 for 50 months, an increase of 12% and a price aligned with that usually practiced for 14,99 months of subscription! An increase as sudden as it is significant, which should a priori push players towards the other offer that Microsoft has been promoting lately: the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offered at $12,99/month (€XNUMX/month in Spain) .
A price increase that did not pass
If Microsoft guaranteed that subscribers to the 6 and 12 month Xbox Live Gold subscription plans would keep their prices as part of a renewal of offers, it was a fact that new subscribers would have had to undergo a very significant price increase. , doubling the cost of year-round Xbox Live Gold compared to the PlayStation Plus subscription offered by competitor Sony. Faced with the discontent of players and probably the risk of losing part of its clientele (in a context of the start of a new generation of home consoles, let us remember), Microsoft has therefore backtracked and announced that its prices will remain unchanged, as they have been for 10 years in certain markets, he recalls.
Free… for the free
This controversy, however, raised another disadvantage of online gaming on Xbox consoles compared to their competitors at PlayStation and Nintendo: the obligation to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold to indulge in free online games (free to play) , such as Fortnite or Rocket League. A real problem and one more reason for fans of these very popular games to stay away from Xbox consoles so far (if they don't play other non-free to play online games). Visibly committed to restoring a certain attractiveness to its ecosystem, Microsoft is therefore announcing the lifting of this obligation in the coming months. Something to restore its image a little.
© Microsoft Xbox
