Summary
Xbox Game Pass, long considered among the best deals in the gaming industry, saw a recent increase in subscription costs. This came as adisappointment for many Xbox fanswho were holding out hope that the games-on-demand service would remain at its remarkably low price point for the foreseeable future, but this disappointment could be mitigated by future additions to the platform.
Since its launch a few years ago,Xbox Game Passhas offered incredible value for its price. For just $14.99 per month on console and $9.99 per month on PC, players could access a massive assortment of high-quality titles, including day-one access to a number of both first-and third-party games. Even as Sony and Nintendo unveiled their competing games-on-demand subscriptions, Game Pass has been seen as the best bang-for-buck proposition, with a strong library and reasonable entry cost. The service still offers great value, but many view the price hike, along with the changes made to day-one release access, as hindrances that lessen the service’s dominance in the on-demand space.
More Activision-Blizzard Games Could Make the Game Pass Price Increase Worth It
Xbox Game Pass' New Pricing Model Came as a Blow to Many Subscribers
Console players were hit the hardest by the Game Pass price increase. Long seen as superior tothe comparable PS Plus Extradue to its similar price point, better library, and access to day-one titles, Game Pass Ultimate’s monthly subscription fee is now five dollars more than its main competitor, which has been steadily expanding its library with in-demand games. The standard Xbox Game Pass subscription on console, which does not include access to online services, is still $14.99, but it is suffering an arguably greater blow: the loss of day-one access to new releases.
Diving Into Activision Blizzard Games Could Be the Spark that Game Pass Needs
It’s no surprise that both Activision and Blizzard control the rights to a number of hit titles that would be welcome additions to the Game Pass lineup. Now, Microsoft owns these rights, but the company has been surprisingly vague about which games will make their way to the service, and when.Call of Duty: Black Ops 6has been confirmed as a day-one Game Pass title, which already massively ratchets up the service’s value, but Microsoft shouldn’t stop there.
It’s been rumored that Xbox could pad out the Game Pass library with Activision-Blizzard’s extensive back catalog, which would include the entireCall of Dutyfranchise,World of Warcraft, and even third-partygames published by Activision, such asSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. With these being some of the most popular and critically acclaimed games of the modern age, their arrival on the platform would likely assuage many concerns about Game Pass' diminishing value in light of its increased cost. If Microsoft can commit to bringing these older titles toGame Pass alongside a steady stream of day-one releases, it could help alleviate criticism and disappointment from consumers, while bringing new users to the platform.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
