After the recent price adjustments, Microsoft could be planning further price levels for the Xbox Game Pass. According to an insider, several models are conceivable in this regard – including with advertising and only in the cloud.
Microsoft recently made a major overhaul of the Xbox Game Pass and significantly increased the prices. However, there could be even more changes to the popular gaming subscription in the future, as the end of the line may not yet have been reached as far as the individual price levels are concerned.
Jez Corde, an insider with excellent connections in Microsoft circles and therefore very well informed, Windows Central has now published a new article that also deals with the future of the Xbox Game Pass. According to the article, Microsoft is conducting further investigations and is also making efforts to further refine and diversify the design of the Xbox Game Pass.
The most likely scenario is that there could be a cloud-only tier of Xbox Game Pass in the future. You wouldn't need an Xbox console to access Microsoft games via a subscription.
“This [Preisstufe] would be designed for users who simply aren't interested in buying an Xbox console, which includes players on competing consoles and platforms. So it could also be aimed at users who don't like the initial costs that come with purchasing and owning a console,” Corden said.
A cloud pricing tier for the Xbox Game Pass would probably be more cost-effective – if Microsoft actually implements it at some point. You would then only need a correspondingly supported platform that supports access to cloud-based games. For example, Xbox support for Amazon Fire TV was only recently launched.
In addition to this cloud pricing model, Microsoft is also looking into an advertising-financed pricing tier for the Xbox Game Pass. The company is investigating the potential of such a model, but there are currently no solid plans to actually launch such an advertising-financed tier. It remains to be seen whether this will change. Such a model has already become established in the streaming sector in recent months; there are cheaper advertising-financed tiers on Disney+ or Netflix.
Last but not least, a comeback of the Family & Friends pricing model for the service is also conceivable. The idea has already been tested in various regions in 2022 and 2023. For $24.99 per month, up to five people could use a single membership. In short, it remains exciting to see how the Xbox Game Pass will look!
Microsoft has announced three new variants of the Xbox Series X/S for fall 2024.