Xbox Live Gold has always been the paid subscription for Xbox gaming, providing full access to Microsoft's gaming network with a range of exclusive benefits. That includes access to online multiplayer, various social features, free games, and discounts on the regular. But Xbox Live Gold isn't for everyone and coupled with some big changes to Xbox Live's free tier, you might consider canceling your membership.
How to disable auto-renew for Xbox Live Gold
By canceling your Xbox Live Gold subscription, understand that you'll be losing access to all your previous benefits of the service. In the future, multiplayer for most games and other Xbox Live Gold services will be inaccessible, including access to free titles previously obtained via Games with Gold.
- Navigate to account.microsoft.com/services.
- Sign into your Microsoft account.
- Navigate to the Xbox Live Gold subsection of the page.
- Click Manage.
- Choose Turn off auto-renew.
- Select Confirm cancellation.
Upon completing the steps, your Xbox Live Gold subscription will no longer renew going forward. Your existing Xbox Live Gold membership will continue until the current paid period passes, meaning all benefits are still usable in the meantime.
Is Xbox Live Gold worth it versus Game Pass Ultimate?
Since network-wide Xbox Live Gold changes, introduced in April 2021, free-to-play multiplayer games no longer require a subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Great news for gamers who prefer sticking to titles like Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Fortnite. For anyone else dropping $60 on a hit multiplayer blockbuster, they'll need to then fork out some extra cash for Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate if they want to play with friends.
Even for offline-centric gamers who prefer story-driven games, it's worth exploring the benefits of Game Pass Ultimate. As well as access to the Game Pass library, you get all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold too. Though it comes in at a higher price than Live Gold, Game Pass Ultimate includes the Games with Gold program, which awards two free games a month, including Xbox 360 backward-compatible titles. These games never leave your library as long as your subscription is active, unlike the rotating games library of Game Pass.
The top package for everything Xbox, a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes access to PC Game Pass. Should you split your gaming time between consoles and keyboards, you'll have access to the PC side of the Game Pass library. These upgrades make Game Pass Ultimate much better value for money than Xbox Live Gold, which has lost its spark.
How to save on Xbox Live Gold
If you consider checking out Game Pass Ultimate instead of canceling Live Gold, you can upgrade your Gold membership to Game Pass Ultimate for as little as $1 via Microsoft.
Though Microsoft has discontinued its 12-month digital subscription to Xbox Live Gold, it is still possible to buy the year-long codes from third-party retailers. The 25-character codes will either be hidden on physical cards with a scratch-off panel or e-mailed to you directly from online retailers. Redeem your code on the subsection of Microsoft's website here, and your membership extends instantly.
Similar discounts often appear for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month codes, so check local retailers regularly for price cuts and capitalize on Xbox multiplayer savings.
Xbox Live Gold (12-month)
Secure a year-long saving on Xbox Live Gold
Amazon has previously offered huge savings on 12-month codes for Xbox Live Gold, a steal for a year-long subscription. Other third-party retailers offer similar deals, so keep an eye on your local stores.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-month)
The ultimate way to play
A step up in price from Xbox Live Gold, but offering occasional discounts of its own. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the complete package for gaming on Xbox consoles and PC. Upgrade a current Xbox Live Gold subscription for $1, or check local retailers for savings.
Matt Brown is a senior editor at Future for Windows Central. Following six years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Xbox and Windows PCs. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.
