Xbox Game Pass is marching toward a cliff’s edge. Microsoft’s gaming subscription service has limped along eight years after launch, while the Xbox brand and its lack of new hardware has been castigated by both players and ex-execs alike. The entire format for the subscription—where those paying the most for access to cloud gaming—is going to change. You may end up spending more or less, depending on whether you want all the best features.
Those participating in the Xbox Insiders beta program are now able to play some of Xbox’s cloud games, even if they’re not subscribed to the $20 Ultimate Game Pass tier. In a blog post, the company said players with a “Core” or “Standard” Game Pass sub can access the PC version of titles “included with their subscription” over the cloud. The feature runs select games on separate hardware in a cloud server, then Microsoft streams the games’ visuals to your device. The feature was previously exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. The Official Xbox Podcast first hinted at this change earlier this month. Microsoft VP Jason Ronald said at the time that opening up cloud gaming would “make it much more affordable, and make it more accessible to players.”
Game Pass subscription prices could drastically change
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is still the best deal in gaming today. Even after Microsoft made its services more expensive last year, subscribers still have access to a growing list of great games to play. There are two separate subscription tracks for PC or console gamers. For Xbox owners, the base “Core” subscription offers you online multiplayer on Xbox Series X/S and a small catalog of 25 games. The $15-per-month “Standard” tier for consoles supplies a wider swath of games you can download for free. Meanwhile, the $12 monthly “PC” subscription is a better deal overall, as it offers the same suite of games to play plus the ability to download “day one” games—titles on launch date.
Game Pass Ultimate at $20 works across both console and PC. Along with the full Game Pass catalogue and day one titles, Ultimate subscribers previously had exclusive access to the Cloud Gaming service. If Xbox allows cloud games on cheaper tiers, Ultimate will have to change. Xbox Game Pass could balloon in price for gamers who want all the best features. Video game analyst Joost van Druenen suggested in a recent blog post that Xbox may create a cheaper tier or a mobile version as well as a potential $30 subscription for “highly active, premium players.”
Xbox is well aware that its console business is—to put it nicely—in a very awkward place. The Head of Xbox Game Studios Craig Duncan told GamesRadar earlier this year that console “growth across generations has slowed.” At the same time, most gamers are not just playing on one device. Microsoft recently hiked prices of all Xbox consoles and peripherals and proclaimed it would sell games at an $80 starting price. A Series X with an optical drive now costs $600. Game Pass is still the same price as last year, and as the company pushes its subscription model, it has been simultaneously launching once-exclusive titles like Gears of War: Reloaded on competing platforms like the PlayStation 5 (which experienced its own price hike this month).
Xbox needs to boost subscription numbers
Duncan said Xbox wants to reach “as many players as we can” and make it “seamless to buy a game once and have it playable across devices.” Having a staggered Game Pass beholden to consoles and PC separately does not make sense anymore. Microsoft has confirmed it’s working on a next-gen console, but that more powerful gaming device could be one to two years out. In the meantime, it has to rely on third parties like Asus to make branded devices like the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld. If our games are on every system already, breaking down the dichotomy between Xbox and PC gaming is the natural next step.
Microsoft has stopped relaying the exact number of Game Pass subscribers. At best, we can only guess. A LinkedIn profile of an Xbox worker published online—and subsequently removed—suggested the total number sat around 35 million a few months ago. Video game industry analyst James McWhirter of Omdia previously told IGN that Game Pass subscriptions have slowed in recent years. The firm suggested the total number of subscribers sat around 33.3 million in late 2023. Hitting the fabled 100 million subscriber watermark sounds more like a pipedream with every passing year. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service is planning to offer better bitrates, higher-quality streaming, and the ability to play more of your own games by renting out server space. Xbox also allows players to choose GeForce Now servers for streaming, so long as they subscribe to both. At a certain point, Xbox needs to provide something beyond its current offering if it wants Game Pass to survive instead of die a pointless death.
