Xbox Live Gold is going to cost that little bit more from next month, according to emails sent out to UK subscribers, in order to "address changing market conditions".
Current Xbox Live Gold subscribers were alerted to the small price changes, which increase £5.99 per month subscriptions to £6.99, quarterly £14.99 subscriptions to £17.99, and annual £39.99 to a total £49.99.
Any Xbox One S or Xbox One X owners signing up to the service anew will be able to avoid the increase before May 8, when the new prices come into effect - while current regular subscribers won't see the change come in until August 7. (Loyalty has its perks.)
Price hikes are a bummer, obviously, though the changes really just bring UK pricing in line with the rest of Europe. Speaking to VG247 (opens in new tab), Xbox claimed the aim was "to ensure gamers have consistent pricing for Xbox Live Gold across Europe."
- Check out the best Xbox games for online or offline play
- Or how to cancel Xbox Games Pass
- What free Games with Gold do you get this month?
Game, set, match
Considering that PlayStation's own online service, PS Plus, increased its prices back in 2017, it's no surprise that Xbox has moved to match it. Why settle for less, after all?
Undercutting both by a fair margin is Nintendo Switch Online, which costs a measly £3.49 per month, rather than the competing £6.99. Any Amazon Prime members can also now claim a free 12 months of the Nintendo Switch's service, offering a decent bargain for those already in Amazon's ecosystem.
Naturally, once you have an Xbox or Switch console, you don't exactly get the choice between their online services. But if you're on the fence about a gaming system, it's worth tallying up the prices to see what it costs you in the long run.
- Xbox One S vs PS4 Pro vs Nintendo Switch: which is the best for you?
