Xbox Game Pass Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now cost £10.99 and £16.99 per month respectively in the UK, leaving a £6 monthly difference between the two plans.
That gap is considerably smaller than it was in late 2025, when Ultimate briefly cost £22.99 per month. However, price is no longer the only major change UK players need to consider.
Microsoft has changed its approach to Call of Duty day-one releases, Premium now provides access to Xbox-published games within a year rather than immediately, PC Game Pass has become a serious alternative at the same £10.99 price as Premium, and Xbox Cloud Gaming is about to introduce monthly usage limits.
For players comparing Xbox Game Pass Premium vs Ultimate in 2026, those changes make the decision more complicated than simply asking which plan has the bigger game library.
How Much Do Xbox Game Pass Premium and Ultimate Cost in the UK?
Xbox Game Pass Premium currently costs £10.99 per month, while Ultimate costs £16.99 per month in the UK.
Xbox presently advertises an introductory Premium offer of £1 for 14 days for eligible users, although promotional availability can depend on the account and region. The public Ultimate product page currently shows £16.99 per month without the same introductory offer.
The annual maths is therefore straightforward.
| Plan | Monthly cost | Cost over 12 months |
| Premium | £10.99 | £131.88 |
| Ultimate | £16.99 | £203.88 |
| Difference | £6.00 | £72.00 |
Ultimate no longer costs more than twice as much as Premium. That statement in the older version of this article became incorrect after Microsoft reduced the price in April 2026.
The site’s earlier coverage of the Xbox Game Pass price changes provides useful background on how dramatically the subscription structure has moved since 2025.
Why Did Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Go From £14.99 to £22.99 and Back to £16.99?
The price history matters because players who remember the 2025 increase may still assume Ultimate costs £22.99.
In October 2025, Microsoft’s Game Pass overhaul increased the UK Ultimate price from £14.99 to £22.99 per month. Core was renamed Essential, while Standard became Premium. Microsoft also expanded the features offered through its different subscription tiers.
Microsoft then reversed part of that increase on 21 April 2026. Ultimate fell to £16.99 in the UK, while PC Game Pass also dropped to £10.99. The reduction coincided with a significant change to Microsoft’s Call of Duty strategy.
For existing subscribers, revised pricing generally appeared at the next recurring billing date rather than retrospectively changing an already-paid subscription period.
How Do the Premium and Ultimate Game Libraries Compare?
Microsoft currently advertises 200+ games with Premium and 400+ games with Ultimate. Both cover Xbox consoles, PCs and supported handheld devices, although individual game availability varies by platform and region.
Ultimate’s larger catalogue is partly explained by its additional subscriptions. It incorporates EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics, while Premium does not.
Players should also remember that Game Pass is a rotating catalogue. A game being available today does not necessarily mean it will remain indefinitely.
The distinction between a title leaving the subscription library and being removed completely from the Xbox Store is particularly important.
Players concerned about that can see how games leaving Xbox Game Pass normally affect access, saved progress and purchasing options.
Does Ultimate Still Get Xbox Games on Day One?
Yes, but the wording needs qualification in 2026.
Xbox describes Ultimate as including new games on day one, but its current product page specifies that this applies to select games and explicitly excludes Call of Duty titles.
This is a major change from the older assumption that every new Xbox first-party release would automatically enter Ultimate at launch.
Microsoft announced in April 2026 that future Call of Duty games would no longer launch on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
Instead, Microsoft said new Call of Duty titles would arrive during the following holiday season, roughly a year later. Existing Call of Duty games already in the library were not removed by that decision.
So a player should no longer subscribe to Ultimate solely because they expect every new Call of Duty to be included on release day.
When Does Premium Get New Xbox Games?
Xbox currently says new Xbox-published games can reach Premium within one year of launch, excluding Call of Duty titles.
That wording is important. Premium does not promise immediate access, nor does it mean every game will be held back for exactly 12 months.
It is also incorrect to say the policy has never resulted in Xbox-published titles reaching Premium. For example, Xbox Wire listed Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 as “Now with Game Pass Premium” in October 2025.
Premium is therefore better understood as the patient-player tier: new Xbox-published games can appear after their launch period, while Ultimate remains the stronger option for selected day-one launches.
What Happens to Xbox Cloud Gaming in November 2026?
This is arguably the most important new difference for anyone comparing Game Pass plans now.
Xbox announced on 3 September 2026 that monthly cloud-gaming limits will begin in November 2026.
Ultimate will include 15 cloud-gaming hours per month, Premium will include 10 hours, and Essential will include 5 hours. Until the change takes effect, eligible subscribers can continue using cloud gaming without those monthly hour limits.
Xbox says subscribers who use their included hours will be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the Xbox Store. Pricing and exact purchasing options had not been announced when the change was revealed.
Microsoft estimates that the limit will affect around 4% of Game Pass subscribers, suggesting most users currently stream for fewer hours than the incoming allowance.
That still makes a major difference for dedicated cloud players. Someone who uses Xbox Cloud Gaming as their primary method of playing could exceed 10 or 15 hours relatively quickly.
Is Ultimate Really 1440p While Premium Is 1080p?
The previous version of this article should not keep fixed 1440p-versus-1080p claims without qualification.
Xbox’s current UK product pages describe Ultimate as providing its highest-quality cloud experience with the shortest waiting times, while Premium receives priority cloud access. The current pages do not consistently publish a fixed resolution specification alongside those plan descriptions.
It is therefore safer to describe Ultimate as receiving the higher-priority cloud tier rather than promising readers a specific streaming resolution under every device, network and game combination.
Do Both Plans Include Online Console Multiplayer?
Yes.
Both Xbox Game Pass Premium and Ultimate include online console multiplayer. Premium users do not need Ultimate simply to play paid online multiplayer games.
References to Xbox Live Gold can also create confusion because the service no longer exists under that name. Xbox Live Gold became Game Pass Core in 2023, and Microsoft renamed Core to Game Pass Essential in October 2025. Standard was renamed Game Pass Premium at the same time.
The current structure is therefore Essential, Premium, Ultimate and the separate PC Game Pass.
Premium vs Ultimate Rewards: What Is Actually Confirmed?
The old annual Rewards caps of 50,000 and 100,000 points should be removed unless Microsoft republishes them as part of the current UK programme.
Xbox’s live UK subscription pages now provide a simpler comparison.
Premium can earn up to 2x Rewards points, while Ultimate can earn up to 4x Rewards points through eligible Game Pass activities and Store purchases. Xbox also describes Premium as offering exclusive rewards and Ultimate as offering additional exclusive rewards.
Rewards availability can depend on activity, account, market and Microsoft’s current Rewards terms, so fixed annual values should not be presented as guaranteed savings.
The previous claim that Ultimate automatically gives discounts of “up to 30%” should likewise be removed unless a current Xbox offer specifically supports it.
What Does Fortnite Crew Add to Game Pass Ultimate?
Fortnite Crew remains one of Ultimate’s most distinctive extras.
The membership includes access to Fortnite’s Battle Pass, OG Pass, LEGO Pass and Music Pass while the subscription remains active. Rocket Pass Premium for Rocket League is also offered as a Crew benefit.
Fortnite Crew also provides monthly V-Bucks.
There is an important freshness issue here. Xbox’s November 2025 announcement referred to 1,000 V-Bucks each month, while Epic’s current Fortnite Crew support information lists 800 Bonus V-Bucks each month. Because the benefit has changed, older 1,000-V-Bucks figures should not be treated as permanent.
For players already paying separately for Fortnite Crew, that inclusion can make Ultimate’s extra £6 per month much easier to justify.
What Else Does Ultimate Include?
Ultimate currently combines its larger Xbox library with EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew.
The EA Play inclusion gives subscribers access to EA’s catalogue, selected trials and member benefits. Players trying to reduce duplicate subscription charges should check whether they are paying for EA Play independently as well as receiving it through Ultimate.
The site’s guide to cancelling EA Play subscriptions explains the difference between separately billed EA Play and EA Play supplied through Game Pass.
Game Pass is also becoming increasingly connected with other gaming services. The site’s coverage of the Xbox Game Pass and Discord partnership explains another example of Microsoft expanding Game Pass beyond a straightforward downloadable-game catalogue.
Should PC Players Choose Premium or PC Game Pass?
PC Game Pass deserves its own place in this comparison because it currently costs the same £10.99 per month as Premium.
Xbox advertises PC Game Pass with 300+ PC games, new games on day one and EA Play.
| Feature | Premium | PC Game Pass | Ultimate |
| Price | £10.99 | £10.99 | £16.99 |
| Console support | Yes | No | Yes |
| PC catalogue | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Approx. library advertised | 200+ | 300+ | 400+ |
| Selected day-one games | No | Yes* | Yes* |
| EA Play | No | Yes | Yes |
| Online console multiplayer | Yes | Not applicable | Yes |
| Cloud gaming | Yes | Not a core PC Game Pass benefit | Yes |
| Fortnite Crew | No | No | Yes |
*Future Call of Duty titles are excluded from the normal day-one policy from 2026.
For a player who uses only a gaming PC, PC Game Pass can therefore make more sense than Premium because both currently cost £10.99 while PC Game Pass retains selected day-one releases and EA Play.
Premium becomes more attractive when console access, cloud gaming and online console multiplayer matter.
What Does the Extra £6 for Ultimate Actually Buy?
The annual difference between Premium and Ultimate is £72.
For that £72, Ultimate currently adds a roughly 400-game catalogue rather than 200+, selected day-one releases, EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, stronger Rewards earning, five additional included cloud hours per month from November and Microsoft’s highest-priority cloud tier.
That does not automatically mean Ultimate saves £72 for every player.
A player who mostly works through older single-player games may use almost none of those extras.
Someone who already pays for Fortnite Crew, regularly uses EA Play, wants new Xbox games near launch and streams through the cloud can extract substantially more value from them.
Can Premium Be Upgraded to Ultimate?
Yes, but prepaid Premium time does not convert to Ultimate at a one-to-one rate.
Following the April 2026 changes, 65% of remaining Premium time converts into Ultimate time, rounded according to Microsoft’s conversion rules.
For example, reporting based on the updated Xbox conversion table shows that 90 remaining days of Premium convert to approximately 59 days of Ultimate.
The earlier conversion rate was about 55%, so this became more favourable when Microsoft reduced Ultimate’s price in April.
Anyone stacking prepaid codes before upgrading should check the current conversion table immediately before redeeming them because Microsoft can revise these ratios.
Are Prepaid Game Pass Codes Cheaper?
Prepaid codes can be useful, but buyers should compare the actual price rather than assuming longer codes automatically provide a discount.
GAME currently lists Premium at £10.99 for one month and £32.99 for three months. The same retailer lists Ultimate at £16.99 for one month and £50.99 for three months.
Those three-month prices are effectively the same as paying the current monthly rate three times.
A 12-month Premium code was not visible in GAME’s current Premium range when checked, although 12-month Essential codes are available. Retail stock, discounts and digital-code pricing can change frequently, so readers should compare the effective monthly price before paying upfront.
Can Game Pass Be Shared With Family on One Xbox?
Game Pass subscription content can be shared with other profiles through Microsoft’s Home Xbox system.
Microsoft’s developer documentation explains that content enabled by a subscription such as Xbox Game Pass can be shared with other users who sign in on the designated Home Xbox.
However, players should distinguish the downloadable game entitlement from account-specific benefits. Individual perks, cloud features, in-game currencies, account-linked rewards and similar benefits do not necessarily transfer to every profile simply because the Game Pass library is shared.
For a household with several people using one console, this makes either Premium or Ultimate potentially more cost-effective than buying separate subscriptions for everyone.
Can Game Pass Premium or Ultimate Be Cancelled and Refunded?
Xbox subscriptions use recurring billing unless it is disabled or the subscription is cancelled.
For UK customers, Xbox states that an initial subscription purchase can be cancelled for a refund within 30 days.
Microsoft also says someone who unintentionally receives a recurring billing charge can request a refund of the most recent charge if they cancel and make the request within 30 days.
That recurring-billing refund right is limited to one time per Microsoft account, per subscription product, without affecting additional legal consumer rights.
Players intending to stop their subscription should therefore manage recurring billing before the next renewal rather than simply uninstalling games.
Which Game Pass Plan Suits Different Types of Players?
| Player | Plan worth comparing first | Why |
| Console solo player | Premium | 200+ games and lower monthly cost |
| PC-only player | PC Game Pass | Same £10.99 price as Premium with selected day-one PC releases and EA Play |
| Fortnite player | Ultimate | Fortnite Crew is included |
| Call of Duty player | Compare carefully | New CoD releases no longer arrive on Ultimate or PC Game Pass on day one |
| Family using one Xbox | Premium or Ultimate | Game Pass content can be shared through Home Xbox |
| Patient backlog player | Premium | Day-one access is less important |
| Frequent cloud player | Ultimate | Better cloud priority and 15 hours versus 10 from November |
| Heavy cloud-only player | Neither automatically solves the limit | More than 15 hours may require paid extra cloud time from November |
| EA fan | Ultimate or PC Game Pass | Both include EA Play |
| Player wanting new Xbox releases | Ultimate | Selected non-CoD launches can still arrive day one |
Is Xbox Game Pass Premium or Ultimate Better?
Premium is particularly competitive after the 2026 price changes because £10.99 provides more than 200 games, PC and console access, supported handheld play, online multiplayer, cloud gaming and up to 2x Rewards earning.
The biggest compromise is release timing. Premium normally waits for Xbox-published games rather than receiving them immediately, and its advertised within-one-year policy excludes Call of Duty.
Ultimate costs £6 more each month but layers several services into one membership. Its strongest advantages are selected day-one releases, a larger catalogue, EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, higher Rewards earning and better-priority cloud streaming.
The cloud calculation becomes less favourable for heavy streamers in November 2026 because even Ultimate will be limited to 15 included hours per month.
For PC-only users, meanwhile, Premium and Ultimate should not be considered in isolation. PC Game Pass costs the same £10.99 as Premium and may provide a stronger package for someone who never plays on Xbox hardware.
FAQs About Xbox Game Pass Premium vs Ultimate
Does Xbox Game Pass Ultimate still include new Call of Duty games on day one?
No. Microsoft announced in April 2026 that future Call of Duty releases will not enter Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch. Xbox said they are expected to arrive during the following holiday season, roughly a year later.
What happens to Xbox Cloud Gaming in November 2026?
Game Pass cloud gaming will receive monthly usage allowances. Ultimate gets 15 hours, Premium gets 10 hours and Essential gets 5 hours. Additional hours will be available to purchase, although Microsoft had not confirmed pricing when the change was announced.
Is PC Game Pass cheaper than Premium?
No. Both currently cost £10.99 per month in the UK. PC Game Pass provides a PC-only catalogue, selected day-one releases and EA Play, while Premium also covers Xbox consoles, online console multiplayer and cloud gaming.
How much Premium time converts when upgrading to Ultimate?
The April 2026 conversion rate is approximately 65% of remaining Premium time. As an example, 90 days of Premium converts to roughly 59 days of Ultimate under the updated conversion rules.
Does Premium include online console multiplayer?
Yes. Both Premium and Ultimate include online console multiplayer. Premium does not require a separate Xbox Live Gold membership.
Does Premium get new Xbox games?
Xbox says Xbox-published titles can join Premium within one year of launch, although Call of Duty titles are excluded from that promise.
Does Ultimate include Fortnite Crew?
Yes. Fortnite Crew is included with Game Pass Ultimate and currently provides Fortnite passes, a monthly Crew Pack, monthly V-Bucks and Rocket Pass Premium as an additional benefit. The exact benefits can change.
Can Game Pass be shared with family members?
Subscription-enabled game content can be shared with other profiles on a designated Home Xbox. Account-specific benefits, currencies and some perks may remain tied to the subscribing account.
