Xbox Live Gold subscription fees are going to rise this Monday

Existing subscribers will not have to pay the extra fees straight away

Xbox have confirmed a price increase for subscription packages to their Live Gold service, which allows console owners to play online. A 12-month subscription currently costs £39.99 but will rise to £49.99 on Monday, 8 May. The 25 percent increase has been put down to "changing market conditions" and will put it on a par with Playstation Plus' yearly fees. Ultimately, it will see a single month subscription rise to £6.99 from £5.99 and a three-month plan become £17.99 from £14.99, although the £29.99 cost of a six-month subscription will not change. Microsoft has not announced plans for extra services to be made available as part of the new prices however there is respite for existing subscribers, who have until 8 August before the new fees come in. "All current subscribers will keep their current subscription fee for 90 days," an official email to customers confirmed. "You will be charged the new price effective August 7, 2019 unless you choose to cancel your subscription before the next scheduled payment." Like its PS Plus rival, Xbox Live Gold continues to hand out free games as well as access to online services as part of its package. This month has seen the 2005 original Star Wars Battlefront 2 made available with Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 coming online on 16 April. Classics such as BioShock Infinite, Saints Row IV and Goat Simulator have all also appeared on the service, which allows free access to four games every month, for a fortnight at a time.