Xbox is planning a major overhaul of Game Pass that would let players choose features à la carte, according to a Fortune profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma published on 20 October. Citing people familiar with the strategy, Fortune says add-ons for console-only games, cloud gaming and multiplayer would sit on top of a tiered structure. Microsoft hasn’t announced anything, and the report gives no prices, launch date or markets.
Kotaku frames it as a move away from the one-price, all-you-can-eat model towards something closer to a menu. Under that reading, subscribers who never touch cloud streaming or online play could stop paying for them, while heavy users would pay extra.
How it connects to what Xbox has already confirmed
Part of this is already in motion. In a post on Xbox Wire, Xbox said that from November each Game Pass plan will include a fixed number of cloud gaming hours a month, where streaming is currently unlimited for eligible subscribers. Once those hours run out, subscribers will be able to buy extra cloud playtime through the Xbox Store.
| Game Pass tier | US price | Cloud hours from November |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $9.99/month | 5 |
| Premium | $14.99/month | 10 |
| Ultimate | $22.99/month | 15 |
Windows Central lists those US prices alongside the new caps, and Xbox quotes the hour limits. Xbox Wire adds that Microsoft will share more in November on pricing, extra hours, eligible games and market availability. That last item is the one UAE, Saudi and Egyptian players should watch, because nothing so far says how any of this applies in the region.
Cloud is also at the centre of other Xbox reporting. We covered the report that Xbox has reportedly secured exclusive GTA 6 streaming rights, which would make a separately priced cloud add-on more significant if both reports hold.
Why Xbox might do it
Fortune’s profile points to the economics. According to former employees quoted by Fortune, Game Pass helped Xbox build a subscription business but also led to a “cannibalization of sales” of higher-priced first-party games, particularly at launch. Those employees also said competing internal metrics, such as subscription revenue against store revenue, made the problem worse. Fortune describes a Microsoft profit-margin measure for the Xbox unit of around 3%.
Kotaku notes that Game Pass has already lost day-one Call of Duty in exchange for a price cut, and Sharma told Fortune, “We’re here to be the No. 1 entertainment company.” A pick-your-own structure would give Xbox a way to charge for the costliest parts of the service separately, though Fortune doesn’t say that’s the intent.
Kotaku goes further and expects Xbox’s remaining first-party games to eventually leave the day-one offering. It also points to Microsoft’s testing of an ad-supported tier as part of the same push to lower the entry price. Both are Kotaku’s reading, not reporting from Fortune. Kotaku’s guess is that the overhaul arrives officially before the next run of Xbox blockbusters begins with Fable in February 2027, but Fortune gives no timing.
The hardware angle
The same Fortune piece says Sharma plans a next-generation handheld by the 2027 holiday season and the next console by the 2028 holidays. It adds that the Project Helix console has internally been projected to cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800 unless Microsoft subsidises it. A leaner, cheaper way to subscribe could matter more if the hardware is that expensive, but that link is ours to draw, not Fortune’s.
For now, current Game Pass plans stay as they are, and the November cloud-hour caps are the next confirmed change. We’ll update this story if Microsoft confirms the à la carte plan or publishes regional pricing.
Has Microsoft confirmed an à la carte Game Pass?
No. The plan comes from Fortune’s reporting, which cites unnamed people familiar with the strategy. There’s no official announcement, price list or date, and plans like this can change before launch.
When do the Game Pass cloud gaming limits start, and how many hours do I get?
Xbox says they begin in November: 15 hours a month on Ultimate, 10 on Premium and 5 on Essential. Microsoft says it will share details on pricing for extra hours, eligible games and market availability that month.
Will this change Game Pass prices in the UAE?
Nothing has been announced for the UAE or the wider region, either for the reported overhaul or for the November cloud caps. We recommend checking the Xbox or Microsoft Store listing for your country once Microsoft publishes the November details.
