Microsoft pauses Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike, but not for everyone

Microsoft's proposed price hikes to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service might not hit you after all.

On Oct 1, Microsoft announced a massive 50 percent price hike to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, two days before increasing prices on Xbox consoles. Fans and users were, well, furious — or, as TechRadar put it, "The outcry was startlingly vociferous."

Now, according to emails sent to some Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, the price hike will only affect new purchases in some select countries.