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The Xbox Game Pass Standard plan is <\/a> starting today. Microsoft announced a revamp to its Game Pass subscription plans <\/a>, introducing the Standard option alongside a price increase for the Ultimate tier. The Standard plan costs $15 a month, while Ultimate will run you $20 a month.<\/p>\n The Standard subscription tier will offer the essential features of the Game Pass program: online multiplayer gaming, access to a large library of games, and discounts on select game purchases. The big difference between Standard and Ultimate is that Standard plan members will not be able to play some blockbuster releases, such as <\/em><\/a> and <\/em><\/a>, on day one. The wait time on Standard varies by title, but can last up to or longer than 12 months. Ultimate plans also include membership to EA Play and access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.<\/p>\n Xbox has been struggling to compete with PlayStation in this console generation. That’s partially due to hardware differences: Microsoft offered <\/a> to its console lineup this summer whereas Sony managed to <\/a> for the announcement of its expensive new <\/a>. But the Game Pass plan has also been struggling to generate continued revenue for Microsoft, with just <\/a> subscribers reported in February.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n