How to Cancel Xbox Game Pass (2026)

When you cancel Xbox Game Pass, you keep access until the end of your billing period. After that, every game you downloaded through the service becomes unplayable. Your save data stays intact in the cloud, though, so if you resubscribe later you can pick up where you left off.

Cancel via web browser (fastest)

1. Go to account.microsoft.com/services and sign in
2. Find your Game Pass subscription and click Manage
3. Click Cancel subscription
4. Follow the prompts to confirm

If you see "Turn on recurring billing" instead of a Manage button, your subscription is already set to expire and you won't be charged again.

Cancel on Xbox console

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller
2. Go to Profile & system > Settings > Account
3. Select Subscriptions
4. Choose your Game Pass subscription
5. Select Cancel subscription and confirm

Cancel via the Xbox app (mobile)

1. Open the Xbox app and tap your profile icon
2. Tap the gear icon (Settings)
3. Tap Manage Subscription (this opens your browser to the Microsoft account page)
4. Find your subscription and cancel from there

The app just redirects you to the web method. There's no in-app cancellation.

"Turn off recurring billing" vs "Cancel"

Microsoft offers two options and the difference is subtle. Turn off recurring billing lets your subscription run until the end of the current period, then it simply expires. Cancel subscription does the same thing but may offer a prorated refund if you're early in your billing cycle. In practice, turning off recurring billing is the cleaner option if you want to use the remaining time you've paid for.

Current pricing (AUD)

These prices took effect in October 2025. Ultimate saw the biggest jump, going from $22.95 to $35.95 per month. That's $431.40 a year.

Do you actually need Ultimate?

A lot of people are on Ultimate out of habit. If you mainly play online multiplayer and aren't fussed about day-one releases, Essential at $12.95/mo saves you $276 a year over Ultimate. If you want access to more games but can wait a bit for new titles, Premium at $17.95/mo is the middle ground.

Ultimate only makes sense if you actively use cloud gaming at 1440p, want every new release on day one, and play across both console and PC.

The "come back" deal

Microsoft regularly offers returning subscribers discounted rates. After you cancel, keep an eye on your Xbox dashboard and email. Past offers have included one month for $1 or three months at a heavy discount. These deals appear for accounts without an active subscription, so cancelling now might actually get you a cheaper rate later.

Refunds

Microsoft's refund policy allows cancellation within 30 days of your initial purchase or within 30 days of a recurring charge for a prorated refund. If you've barely used the service in the current billing period, it's worth requesting one through support.xbox.com.