Subscription services today offer players an affordable entry point into hundreds of games across PCs and consoles. Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming, offering both first-day releases and older hits on its platform.
But if you’ve played through most of these games or want to hop onto a rival platform, here’s how you can cancel an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Read on for a detailed guide to cancel this subscription on PC/console and what you can subscribe to instead for the latest games.
How to Cancel Xbox Game Pass on Console
If you’re looking to cancel Xbox Game Pass on your Xbox console, here’s what you need to do:
- Press the Xbox button to bring up the navigation panel. Here, head over to the “Account” tab and scroll to “Settings.”
- Now select “Subscriptions” to see your current subscription.
- Click your Xbox Game Pass plan and scroll to the “Cancel Subscription” option.
- This will send you to a web page. While you can proceed with Xbox’s built-in Edge browser, we recommend using the QR code to finish the rest of the process. This will let you cancel Xbox Game Pass on a phone.
- Here, sign into the Microsoft account you’ve used for your Xbox profile.
- You’ll see all your subscriptions on this page. Select the “Manage” option and then opt for “Cancel Subscription.”
- This will take you to another page where you can confirm this choice. Once you’ve done this, your subscription won’t be auto-renewed.
How to Cancel Xbox Game Pass on PC
Cancelling your Xbox Game Pass subscription on PC is a more straightforward process. Here’s how you can get it done:
- Head to Microsoft’s website and sign into the account that you’ve used for your Xbox profile.
- Now that you’re signed in, click your profile image and pick “My Microsoft Account.”
- Here, move to the “Subscriptions” page to see your active Xbox Game Pass subscription.
- Now click the “Manage” button and then select “Cancel Subscription.”
- Once you’ve done this, you’ll be asked for one last confirmation before your subscription is cancelled. Confirm your choice and your Xbox Game Pass auto-renewal will be turned off.
How to Cancel Game Pass on Xbox App
Here’s how you can cancel Game Pass on the Xbox app installed on your PC:
- Open the Xbox app. If you’ve already signed into your Xbox profile, click your profile image at the top left corner and select “Settings.”
- Here, you’ll see your active Xbox Game Pass subscription under the Subscriptions section. Click it and it will take you to another page showing the benefits of your subscription.
- Now select “Manage.” This will open up your web browser and the page will ask you to sign into the Microsoft account you’ve used for your Xbox profile.
- You’ll be brought to the Subscriptions page automatically. Here, click the “Manage” button and then proceed to select “Cancel Subscription.”
- After another prompt to cancel your subscription, your auto-renew option will be disabled. That’s how you can cancel a Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass plan without any additional charges.
Xbox Game Pass Tiers Explained
While all Xbox Game Pass tiers offer member discounts for non-Game Pass titles, other benefits depend on which tier you subscribe to. Here’s a detailed list of all the tiers along with their pricing and features.
Feature | Game Pass Core | Game Pass PC | Game Pass Standard | Game Pass Ultimate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Price per month | $10 | $12 | $15 | $20 |
Day One releases | No | Yes | No | Yes |
PC games | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Online multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
EA Play | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Cloud Gaming | No | Yes (via GeForce Now Ultimate) | No | Yes (via Xbox Cloud Gaming) |
Game Pass Core
At $10 a month, Game Pass Core is the cheapest option if you want access to online multiplayer on Xbox consoles. You also get access to 38 titles (and counting) that include games like Fallout 4 and Doom: Eternal. If you want the entire Game Pass library, you’ll have to opt for a higher tier. It’s a replacement for Xbox Live Gold subscriptions.
Game Pass PC
PC Game Pass offers a massive 400+ library of PC titles at $12 a month. Day One releases and EA Play are included as well, meaning you’ll have plenty to play. This subscription provides the best value for your money, provided you already have a PC capable of running the latest games.
Game Pass Standard
At $15 a month, Game Pass Standard is the latest subscription tier from Microsoft. It offers over 300+ games that range from beloved hits to recent releases. Unfortunately, this console-only subscription omits Day One releases and EA Play access. While the former may eventually arrive on the Standard subscription, this can take up to a year or more. It’s a good deal if you aren’t able to afford the highest tier of Microsoft’s subscriptions.
Game Pass Ultimate
If you’re looking for the best plan that Microsoft offers, consider Game Pass Ultimate. It costs $20 a month and gives you all the benefits of lower tiers and Xbox Cloud Gaming support. It can be used on PC and Xbox consoles, meaning you’ll get access to 500+ games across older games, Day One releases, as well as EA Play games. While the price hikes aren’t great, there’s no denying the incredible value that Game Pass Ultimate brings to the table. If you’re content with a smaller library or online multiplayer access, consider a cheaper plan.
Best Xbox Game Pass Alternatives
If you decide to cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription, you still have plenty of options. Here are our top Xbox Game Pass alternatives across platforms:
Another multi-tier service that offers new PlayStation games to play every month. Higher tiers include more games, PS2/PSP titles, and cloud streaming.
Cost: $9.99 per month
Consider this option if you want online multiplayer and cloud saves on the Nintendo Switch. It also offers legacy NES, SNES, and Game Boy titles.
Cost: $19.99 per month
Gain access to EA’s massive library on consoles and PC. Games include It Takes Two and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Cost: $4.99 per month
This subscription hands out PC games like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on a monthly basis. The best part? You get to keep the games even after you unsubscribe.
Cost: $11.99 per month
Offers 100+ classic and new titles across Ubisoft’s history of games. Highlights include Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry.
Cost: $17.99 per month
Should You Cancel Xbox Game Pass Subscription?
If you cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription, note that you will lose access to the games that were included in the subscription. If you purchase a subscription and then cancel it before the next billing date, you’ll have access to these games until that date.
While the recent price hike changes the value proposition of Xbox Game Pass, we think it’s still a great deal. This is especially true if you’re already playing games published by Microsoft and other titles that are on Xbox Game Pass.
But if you only play a few titles each year or happen to exclusively play Day One releases that don’t release on the platform, you’re better off buying games directly. In that case, cancel your PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
FAQs
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References
- Microsoft – AI, Cloud, Productivity, Computing, Gaming & Apps (Microsoft)
- Join Xbox Game Pass: Discover Your Next Favorite Game | Xbox (Xbox)
- PlayStation®Plus | Hundreds of games to download and play, PlayStation classics, game trials and more (Playstation)
- Nintendo Switch Online – Nintendo – Official Site (Nintendo)
- EA Play – EA Video Game Membership – EA Official Site (Ea)
- Humble Choice | Humble Bundle
(Humblebundle) - Ubisoft+ Game Subscription Service | On PC & Xbox Consoles (Store.ubisoft)