Most Game Pass Ultimate leavers held no tracked gaming subscription
Share of 4,196 U.S. e-receipt panelists who left Game Pass after paying for Ultimate in July–September 2025, measured May–August 2026
Share of Game Pass Ultimate leavers
Source: YipitData U.S. e-receipt panel. Cohort: 4,196 active panelists who paid for Game Pass Ultimate in July–September 2025 and held no Game Pass tier in May–August 2026. Rival holding is a conservative floor for annual plans. Analysis completed August 17, 2026.
Chart data
| Series | Share of Game Pass Ultimate leavers |
|---|---|
| No tracked gaming subscription | 92.8% |
| PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online | 7.2% |
Were leavers more likely than retained subscribers to hold a rival plan?
No. In May–August 2026, 7.2% of Game Pass Ultimate leavers held PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online, essentially the same as the 7.1% rate among retained Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. The absence of a gap supports category exit rather than a broad shift into Sony or Nintendo subscriptions.
Assumptions & Methodologies
We analyzed 9,678 U.S. e-receipt panelists with Game Pass Ultimate activity in July–September 2025 who remained observable in May–August 2026. We classified 4,196 with no active Game Pass tier as leavers, then checked for PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online. Annual rival plans may be undercounted because they may not renew during the outcome window, but that limitation applies to leavers and retained subscribers. In October 2025, Microsoft raised Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99 while renaming Core as Essential and Standard as Premium and changing plan benefits, so this analysis cannot isolate the effect of price alone. [Xbox Wire]