Xbox Game Pass Launches June 1

Microsoft announced today that its game subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, will launch publicly on June 1. But Xbox Live Gold subscribers can get in early, starting today.

“Xbox Game Pass is a new digital gaming subscription service that gives you unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and Backward Compatible Xbox 360 games for $9.99 per month,” Microsoft’s Parimal Deshpande explains. “To ensure Xbox Game Pass provides the best experience possible for gamers, we rolled the service out first to the Xbox Insider Program, with a limited number of titles to test the features. Thanks to the positive feedback we received from the community, we’re thrilled to launch Xbox Game Pass broadly to the Xbox community in 31 markets and share the entire catalog of over 100 great games.”

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Microsoft announced Xbox Game Pass back in February as an answer to Sony’s PlayStation Now service. But because Xbox Game Pass provides access to both new Xbox One games and older (Backward Compatible) Xbox 360 titles, Sony was forced to update its service too. So PlayStation Now will soon provide those subscribers with access to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 games.

Anyway, Xbox Game Pass looks like a great deal: For $9.99 per month, you gain access to a library of over 100 games, which you can download and play on your Xbox One console.

Here’s the schedule.

Starting today, all Xbox Live Gold subscribers have exclusive Early Access to Xbox Game Pass, and you can start a free 14-day trial to see if you wish to subscribe.

Next Thursday, June 1, Xbox Game Pass will become publicly available to anyone (so for those without an Xbox Live Gold subscription). Subscriptions will be available for purchase online at xbox.com/game-pass, and Microsoft says that “a retail offering” is expected later this year.

Going forward, Microsoft will add new games to Xbox Game Pass each month. And subscribers can purchase any Xbox Game Pass games they like at a discount, further enhancing the value of the service.

“Xbox Game Pass reflects our continuing aspiration and commitment to offer gamers the best product for the most value, and joins the diverse experiences only available on Xbox One such as Xbox One Backward Compatibility and Xbox Play Anywhere,” Deshpande writes. “With one low monthly price for unlimited access to tons of games, along with exclusive discounts, Xbox Game Pass is a tremendous opportunity to better meet the needs of all gamers.”

 

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Conversation 5 comments

  • SvenJ

    24 May, 2017 - 1:19 pm

    <p>So, is this $10 on top of the $5 Gold thing? Or does the $10 Pass include Gold features?</p>

    • nwebster

      24 May, 2017 - 2:43 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#119384"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>Game Pass and Gold are not the same, so you would need to subscribe to both if you want both, just like Youtube TV and Youtube Red and not offered as 1 package; you need to subscribe to both if you want both.</p>

  • Omega Ra

    Premium Member
    25 May, 2017 - 7:58 am

    <p>Personally, I don't think another $10/mth on top of the 60/yr I pay is worth it for me. I wish I didn't have to pay $60 to get online multiplayer access..</p>

    • ommoran

      Premium Member
      25 May, 2017 - 3:26 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#119585"><em>In reply to Omega Ra:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>This. Frankly, it should either be included for XBOX Live Gold subscribers, and they should bump the XBOX Live subscription to $80 or $90 a year, OR $10 per month.</p>

      • dgloff

        Premium Member
        30 May, 2017 - 1:50 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#119718"><em>In reply to ommoran:</em></a></blockquote><p>Agreed. If anything, it should just be another tier. Perhaps "Xbox Live Platinum" or some such. $10/month or $100/year, includes all the existing Gold features plus this new game library.</p>

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