Xbox Game Pass Will Add Demos of Upcoming Games Next Year

Microsoft is planning to let Xbox Game Pass members play demos of upcoming games. The new program named “Project Moorcroft” will start rolling out next year, and Microsoft will initially focus on helping indie developers build momentum for their upcoming games.

“Participating developers will be able to see how their demos perform, and we will compensate developers who participate in the program, empowering them to bring their creativity to Xbox and reach new audiences with Game Pass,” the Xbox team said today.

Project Moorcroft sounds quite similar to the game demos Sony is now offering with its new PlayStation Plus Premium plan, but there are some key differences: Sony is offering demos for blockbuster games that have already been released such as Horizon Forbidden West of Cyberpunk 2077, and the demos are also time-limited.

It’s worth noting that some indie developers are already using Xbox Game Pass to launch their games in early access via the Xbox Game Preview program. That’s currently the case for games like Craftopia, Second Extinction, and The Anacrusis, which are all available in early access on Xbox Game Pass. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Project Moorcroft complements that next year.