APG-J162$79,400+98.0%LAM-REVU$652,284+7.2%HRM-BK25$30,800+128.1%MON-M149$550−60.1%CRD-AVEN$384−24.7%DRC-RC15$32,833+21.7%CRT-JUCC$7,600−12.6%SNY-PS5P$1,266+40.7%JOR-TSFH$1,665+732.5%MRT-D45S$8,456−7.1%MBZ-G63A$266,286+16.1%PAT-AQUA$61,000+123.8%FER-12CI$645,476+36.8%HRM-MK20$30,500+167.5%PEL-M800$419−54.7%MFK-BACC$323−10.3%DRC-LT18$6,357+2.3%LEG-TITN$762+12.1%JOR-TSRM$1,397+831.3%GIB-R9VO$5,450−18.6%APG-R510$58,089+70.9%FER-PURO$538,473+25.4%HRM-KL28$30,500+111.8%MRK-34HD$25−58.3%AMO-INTE$304−23.0%PET-2019$4,9860.0%LEG-EXSD$721−9.8%NIK-SBTS$1,280+753.3%MRT-D28S$2,599−18.8%RLX-DD40$51,545+7.4%LAM-TEME$535,670+82.2%HRM-KL25$30,135+120.0%PDM-LAYT$282−29.5%SCR-CS21£2,982+23.5%LEG-UCMF$704−17.2%JOR-TSTP$369+138.1%TAY-814C$2,499−37.5%PAT-5226$36,279−23.2%RRY-SPEC$369,970−7.0%HRM-KPOC$30,000+263.6%TFD-OUDW$250−16.7%ROU-CB18$2,904+5.1%NIN-SWI2$520+4.0%FEN-CSTL$2,350−50.5%RLX-DAYT$36,200+114.2%RRY-CULL$360,624−16.6%HRM-B35T$26,500+62.6%CRD-GITW$235−52.0%PAP-15YO$1,995+565.0%LEG-RIVN$464−7.2%FEN-ACST$2,300−51.6%PAT-CALA$32,000−14.7%MCL-750S$358,567−1.8%HRM-B30T$22,300+49.7%XER-NAXO$220−24.1%PIN-2016$1,408+14.2%LEG-DNTN$403+15.2%RLX-SKYD$23,321+31.4%FER-296G$343,866+1.7%CHA-CF11$7,630−34.8%DIO-SAUV$160−7.5%CON-MF15$1,249−2.9%LEG-PKBL$226−24.6%RLX-GMTB$18,010+50.1%RRY-GHST$324,563−12.5%CRT-LOVE$6,983−12.2%TFD-OMBL$140−15.2%LAF-2018$9670.0%LEG-PLST$165−8.2%RLX-SUBG$16,195+36.1%POR-TRBS$276,625+2.3%HRM-PC18$4,650+17.0%CHA-BLEU$105−39.3%SAL-BB15€935−5.1%RLX-SUBD$15,795+39.2%POR-GT3C$269,900+14.5%HRM-EVTP$3,500+38.6%DIO-HINT$83−37.1%LEF-PU07$804+3.2%RLX-SUBN$14,595+45.2%LAM-URUS$253,114−9.8%GYD-STLG$2,500+20.2%HER-TERR$69−52.4%CHB-2019$724−8.1%
Man Target
Xbox in 2026: Game Pass Prices, ROG Xbox Ally and Project Helix
Games

Xbox in 2026: Game Pass Prices, ROG Xbox Ally and Project Helix

A new CEO, a cheaper Game Pass Ultimate, pricier consoles, Halo on PS5 and a next Xbox that plays PC games. The verified picture.

MAN TARGET EditorsOctober 25, 2026 3 min read

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2026 rewrote Xbox. New leadership, a cheaper Game Pass Ultimate, more expensive consoles, Xbox games launching on PlayStation and a next-generation machine designed to play PC games too. Here is the verified picture as of 1 November 2026.

New leadership, multiplatform by design

In February 2026 Microsoft named Asha Sharma CEO of Microsoft Gaming, as Phil Spencer retired and Xbox president Sarah Bond left the company. The multiplatform strategy continued: Halo: Campaign Evolved launched on 28 July 2026 on Xbox, PC and PS5 on the same day, and Forza Horizon 6, released on Xbox and PC in May, is promised for PS5 later.

Game Pass: the tiers and prices

Microsoft restructured Game Pass in October 2025, then cut two prices on 21 April 2026. Current US prices:

  • Essential, $9.99 a month: online console multiplayer, cloud gaming and 50+ games.
  • Premium, $14.99: 200+ games, with Xbox-made games arriving within about a year of launch.
  • Ultimate, $22.99 (was $29.99): 400+ games, day-one Xbox studio releases, EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew.
  • PC Game Pass, $13.99 (was $16.49): the PC library with day-one Xbox titles.

The trade-off: "Beginning this year, future Call of Duty titles won't join Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch," Xbox said. They arrive around the following holiday season; existing ones stay.

An Xbox Series X and controller on a dark shelf.
An Xbox Series X and controller on a dark shelf.

Consoles and handhelds

On 1 August 2026 Xbox raised console prices again, blaming "the current components crisis" and storage and memory costs that it says have risen more than 2.5 times. US prices are now $799.99 for Series X with disc drive, $749.99 for Series X Digital, $599.99 for Series S 1TB and $499.99 for Series S 512GB; the 2TB Series X was discontinued. The ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, made with ASUS, launched in October 2025 at $599.99 and $999.99 for the Ally X in the US, running Windows with a full-screen Xbox experience; prices have since risen in some markets, including Japan.

The next Xbox: Project Helix

Soon after taking over, Sharma confirmed the next console, codenamed Project Helix, and said it will play Xbox and PC games. At gamescom in August she described a "family of devices". AMD CEO Lisa Su told investors in February 2026 that development of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox with an AMD semi-custom chip "is progressing well to support a launch in 2027". Microsoft has given no date or price.

Xbox is no longer one box. It is a library that follows you from screen to screen.

What to do now

  • Play on both Xbox and PC? Ultimate at $22.99 is better value than at any point since the 2025 restructure.
  • Call of Duty every year? Budget to buy the new game at launch.
  • Weighing a Series X? Many Xbox games now reach PS5 and PC too, so choose by the rest of your library.
  • Waiting for Helix only makes sense if you can wait: Microsoft has not dated it.

Key takeaways

  • Game Pass Ultimate fell to $22.99 a month on 21 April 2026.
  • New Call of Duty games no longer join Game Pass on day one.
  • Series X with disc drive costs $799.99 in the US since 1 August 2026.
  • Project Helix will play Xbox and PC games; AMD points to 2027.
#Xbox#Game Pass#ROG Xbox Ally#Project Helix#games

FAQ

How much is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now?

$22.99 a month in the US since 21 April 2026, down from $29.99, with similar cuts in other regions.

Is Call of Duty still on Game Pass day one?

No. New Call of Duty games join Ultimate and PC Game Pass around the following holiday season; existing titles stay.

When is the next Xbox coming out?

Microsoft has not announced a date. AMD says its chip work supports a 2027 launch of the console, codenamed Project Helix.

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