Xbox Game Pass Subscription Service Now Live For Gold Members, Full Launch Blasts Off June 1
Microsoft just announced that its Xbox Game Pass service is now ready for primetime. Starting today, all Xbox Live Gold members can sign up for the subscription gaming service, which will allow you to access over 100 games — whenever you want — for $9.99 per month.
Now before you get the idea that Xbox Game Pass will only provide you will old and crusty Xbox 360 games; there will also be current hit titles available to play including Halo 5: Guardians, and titles from the Gears of War franchise. Other games that you can access include NBA 2K16, Mega Man Legacy Collection, LEGO Batman and Streets of Rage.
It’s important to note that the library of 100+ games won’t stay the same from month-to-month. As Xbox Chief Phil Spencer explained back in February when the service was announced, “Every month new games will cycle into the subscription with some cycling out, giving you a constantly updating library of games. Xbox Game Pass is your ticket to endless play.”
Microsoft has also touted its “superior” method of delivering content (compared to the competing service from Sony) by downloading the full games to your Xbox One console’s HDD instead of streaming them over your internet connection. This should allow for superior playback performance (regardless of your internet connection speed at the time) at the expense of storage space if you want to take full advantage of the service.
Eventually, Microsoft wants to go with a true “Netflix” model for Xbox Game Pass, delivering original content via the service to subscribers. "I’ve looked at things like Netflix and HBO, where great content has been created because there’s this subscription model,” said Spencer in an April interview. “Shannon Loftis and I are thinking a lot about, well, could we put story-based games into the Xbox Game Pass business model because you have a subscription going? It would mean you wouldn’t have to deliver the whole game in one month; you could develop and deliver the game as it goes.”
While Xbox Live Gold members get early access starting today, Xbox Game Pass opens for all users on June 1st. And in case you want to sample the service before handing over $10, Microsoft is giving all users a free 14-day trial.
