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From left, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. (Photo: Microsoft)

Your subscription to Xbox Live Gold is soon going to cost more.

On Friday, Microsoft announced it will increase prices on its Gold service, which Xbox owners use to play games online.

A one-month membership will cost $10.99, up $1, while a three-month membership will increase by $5 to $29.99.

The steepest increase will apparently affect new players who want to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold on an annual basis. Microsoft will offer six-month subscriptions at $59.99, the same amount users would have pre paid for a full year.

Last July, a Microsoft representative told the gaming website TrueAchievements it would stop selling 12-month subscriptions on their online store. However, 12-month memberships are still available to purchase at retailers such as Amazon, Target and GameStop.

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For comparison, Sony offers a similar subscription to PlayStation Plus for $59.99 a year.

“Periodically, we assess the value and pricing of our services to reflect changes in regional marketplaces and to continue to invest in the Xbox community; we’ll be making price adjustments for Xbox Live Gold in select markets,” reads a statement from Microsoft. “In many markets, the price of Xbox Live Gold has not changed for years and in some markets, it hasn’t changed for over 10 years.”

Existing six-month and 12-month subscriptions will not see an increase if users renew, Microsoft said. Also, any players who shift from Gold to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which combines the Gold subscription with a Netflix-style service featuring access to dozens of games, can do so at no extra charge. The Ultimate service currently costs $14.99 a month.

USA TODAY has reached out to Microsoft to clarify pricing details for Xbox owners who choose to renew their six-month or annual Gold subscriptions.

Microsoft says subscribers have already been notified in some regions about the price hike. The company says prices will not adjust until 45 days after users receive the message.

The website CDKeys is currently offering deals on three-month and six-month memberships to Gold.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

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