Xbox has announced major changes to its Game Pass subscription and truthfully, they’re so muddled even I struggle with laying them all out. But let’s try.
Starting in September, new members to the Xbox ecosystem will not longer be allowed to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass for console. However, those currently subscribed will be allowed to maintain their subscription, which will include the program’s back catalog as well as day one game access, as long as they maintain their subscription. New Xbox Game Pass users, then, will get a choice of a few different subscription tiers, the first being Game Pass Standard. This tier will be priced at $15 a month and gives users access to a back catalog of games and Xbox Live Gold, which is now referred to as Game Pass Core. However, Standard will not include any day one releases or Xbox Cloud gaming.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s features will not be changed and will still include PC Game Pass, but is seeing a price hike and will now be $20 a month. Similarly, PC Game Pass remains the same but will now be $12 a month. For those looking solely for access to online multiplayer, Xbox Game Pass Core (formerly Xbox Live Gold) will now cost you $75 a month. And, just for good measure, Microsoft has also implemented a new rule in which existing users can only stack up to 13 months of Xbox Game Pass for console, though users who have currently stacked more than that will not be effected.
If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is.
From its console naming convention to its subscription service’s pricing structure, Xbox has a habit of making things overly complicated. But the big question we have is: Is this going to come back to bite them? On this week’s Spot On, Tam and Lucy go over the new pricing model and discuss if they think Xbox is making the right move. With thousands of layoffs and studio closures so closely behind them and a new Call of Duty and hot first party lineup ahead, is now the time for such a dramatic restructure and price hike?
Spot On is GameSpot’s weekly news show in which managing editor Tamoor Hussain and senior producer Lucy James talk about the latest game news. Given the massive video game industry’s highly dynamic and never-ending news cycle, there’s always something to talk about. Unlike most news shows, Spot On will dive deep into a single topic instead of recapping all the news. Spot On airs each Friday.