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How to cancel an Xbox Game Pass subscription on Xbox and PC

microsoft is setting the stage for xbox game pass to thrive hero
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the hallmarks of the Xbox ecosystem is Xbox Game Pass. For a monthly fee, gamers get access to more than 100 titles, ranging from seminal classics of yesteryear to the biggest releases of today. Xbox Game Pass may be one of the best deals in gaming, but there may come a time when you need to cancel. Maybe you are taking a gaming break or you’ve played all of the best games on Games Pass. Whatever your reason, the folks at Xbox have made the process fairly painless, as long as you know where to look. 

Here is how to cancel an Xbox Game Pass subscription on Xbox and PC.

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Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Internet connection

  • Xbox or PC

Canceling from an Xbox console

Xbox has changed the process for canceling subscriptions several times over the life of its consoles, but it seems to have settled on a pretty simple system going forward. If you are primarily a console user, then follow these steps to end your Xbox Game Pass subscription. 

Step 1: Open the Guide menu by pressing the Xbox Guide button at the center of the controller.

Step 2: Select your profile, and then select My account on the window that pops up.  

Selecting My Account from the Guide Menu
Justin Koreis/Digital Trends

Step 3: Chose the Payment and billing option from the right side of the screen. 

Payment and billing menu in Xbox.
Justin Koreis/Digital Trends

Step 4: Select Xbox Game Pass.

Step 5: Choose Cancel subscription.

Cancel subscription option in Xbox menu.
Justin Koreis/Digital Trends

Step 6: Select Yes to confirm you want your subscription to end.

 Canceling via the web browser 

You can also cancel your subscription from your PC. Open up your favorite web browser, follow these steps, and you will be all set.

Step 1: Navigate your web browser to xbox.com.

A screenshot from the game As Dusk Falls is centered on the homepage of xbox.com
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Sign in to your profile by clicking Sign in in the top-right corner. 

A small white box calls for a sign in id at the center of an all green background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Click on your Profile picture at the top of the page.

A tab in the upper right corner is highlighted, and the mouse cursor hovers over three dots on one corner of the tab.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Click on the Three dots at the bottom right of the pop-up menu and select Subscriptions.

A tab in the upper right corner is open, revealing a link to subscriptions.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: Find the Xbox Game Pass option and click on Manage.

Subscription and services is in large letters at the top of a text filled screen listing different types of microsoft subscriptions
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 6: Click on Cancel subscription.

A text box in the chrome web browser, with options to manage game pass.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 7: On the pop-up window, confirm that you wish to end recurring billing.

Several boxes of discounted subscriptions sit above the button to cancel gamepass.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

After you cancel Xbox Game Pass 

You will still have access to Xbox Game Pass until the current subscription ends. This could be the end of the month or longer if you have paid for multiple months in advance. Xbox does not offer the option to cancel and partially refund for prepaid months, so you will need to ride out however much time you have left. 

Once your subscription lapses, any games that you downloaded via Game Pass will become inaccessible unless you renew your subscription or buy them outright. If at some point in the future you decide to jump back in, then Xbox Game Pass will take you back with open arms, and you can once again play those games and more. 

Justin Koreis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Justin is a freelance writer with a lifelong love of video games and technology. He loves writing about games, especially…
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