Microsoft has reportedly reduced the price of Xbox Live Gold in India by as much as 30 percent, bringing the 12-month subscription cost down to ₹2,799 from the earlier ₹3,999. That’s according to sources quoted by NDTV, which says the new pricing will go into effect from January 15, 2020. Do note that the reported price-drop only applies to the yearly plan, with no word yet on whether the monthly and half-yearly plans are also getting similar price-cuts. That said, Microsoft is currently offering the monthly subscription for Xbox Live Gold at a 93% discount for just ₹50.
Microsoft had originally hiked the yearly subscription rate from ₹2,240 to ₹3,999 back in early 2017 citing the weakening of the Indian Rupee against the US dollar, but it isn’t immediately clear as to why the rate is now being reduced, given that the Rupee has devalued further since then. Do note that Microsoft is yet to officially corroborate the news, so take it with a pinch of salt for now.
In comparison, PlayStation’s equivalent to Xbox Gold Pass, PS Plus, is priced at ₹4,439 for the annual subscription.
Meanwhile, as pointed out by the report, one of the reasons why the company may be reversing its course on the Live Gold subscription charges is its recent strategy of emphasising on the Xbox Game Pass in the run-up to the launch of the upcoming Xbox launch next year. The company earlier this month announced that the upcoming gaming console will be called ‘Xbox Series X’ and even showed off its design, revealing that it would resemble a traditional tower PC tower than a gaming console unlike the PS5.
It is worth noting that recent rumors indicate that the next-gen Xbox may not just be a single console, but might actually include another, more affordable variant reportedly codenamed Lockhart. It will be interesting to see how the whole thing shapes up, but the battle between the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles will no doubt be an exciting one next year.
