How Much Does Xbox Live Cost?

Xbox Live is Microsoft's online gaming platform developed for its Xbox gaming consoles. For gaming aficionados, bitten by the Xbox bug this initiative provides an opportunity to interact with gamers world wide and gain access to the latest Xbox 360 games. Initially the service was only available on the Xbox console platform, but now it's available to Windows PC users in the form of Games for Windows Live. Microsoft changed the subscription prices for Xbox Live, some time ago, which seems to have created a confusion about how much does Xbox Live cost currently. In this Buzzle article, you'll find details about the cost of its various subscription offers. Detailed below are the membership costs and privileges of being a free, gold or gold family member.


Xbox Live comes with many features, intended to provide gamers with a complete online gaming experience, with their own avatar, profile and achievements listed there. Besides providing the facility to play multiplayer games online, you can watch live action from sports channels, high-definition movies, listen to personalized music and of course download new games. All in all, Xbox live lets you enjoy a complete digital entertainment experience. You can enjoy playing all the top Xbox Live Arcade games online using this platform.


Before you figure out how to hook up Xbox Live, you need to know how much does Xbox Live cost. There are two membership packages, besides the primary free membership made available. The free membership lets you get the previews of upcoming games, download new games and watch HD movies. It lets you create a profile, but doesn't provide the facility to play games with friends. If you opt for paid membership, you are offered a lot more features.

Xbox Live Subscription Type	Cost
Gold Membership (Includes a Single Subscription)	$59.99 (For 12 Months) $24.99 (For 3 Months) $9.99 (For 1 Month)
Gold Family Membership (Includes Four Subscriptions)	$99.99 (For 12 Months)

Gold Membership Cost
If you go for a 12 month gold membership, it will cost you about $59.99 (which boils down to $5 per month). However, you can get the same membership for about $35.96 on Amazon, where Microsoft offers a discounted price. As a gold member, you can enjoy live sports action, watch HD movies and play games online with friends. Alternatively, you may opt for a three month gold membership, which will only cost you $24.99 (or about $8.33 per month). On Amazon, Microsoft sells this three month membership at a discounted cost of $19.33. Just looking for a test run on Xbox Live? Then go for a single month membership for $9.99. The lesser time period you opt for, more you pay.

Gold Family Membership Cost
The gold family plan will cost you $99.99 (translates into $8.33 per month). This is a package deal which offers four gold memberships in one. It provides many additional features in addition to the features offered by Xbox Live gold.

Now that you know how much does Xbox Live cost, you can choose whichever subscription you find suitable. It makes sense to go for the Gold membership as a single month or three month membership is costlier in the long run. The family pack is also worth considering as it can save some money, if you have a lot of family members using the service. For more detailed information about Xbox Live subscription advantages and features, I suggest that you visit the Microsoft website dedicated to it.