In the contemporary ninth generation of console gaming, it would be remiss not to acknowledge Xbox’s struggle to keep up with its contemporaries. First-party releases have been less frequent than the likes of Nintendo or Sony; titles such as Halo Infinite have failed to deliver on their respective hype, and many of Microsoft’s titles launch on PC simultaneously. At first glance, there seems little reason to choose the console.
Despite this, Xbox has always had its ace in the hole in Xbox Game Pass: often hailed as gaming’s greatest deal. I’d certainly agree; from GOTY contenders to fun indie hits to day-one releases, Game Pass has delivered uncontested value to those who stuck with Microsoft past their Xbox 360 halcyon days. There seems little reason not to take advantage of the medium’s best offer. Until now.
Per a recent announcement, the price of Xbox Game Pass will almost double, effective immediately, on the basis that it will add more cloud-gaming support, a Fortnite Crew subscription, and some Ubisoft titles alongside more freedom to play your games on other devices. In other words, fans who are interested in using solely the Xbox consoles are now paying extra for tacked-on, mandatory ‘benefits’ they won’t use. The player wanting to play their shiny day-one releases on their (recently upped in price, mind you) Series X is now paying extra for a Fortnite subscription and PC Game Pass support in order to do so.
Many critics of this change are – understandably – marking it as one of greed; spawn of Microsoft’s desire to stay profitable at the cost of community goodwill. Fans are amid outcry, with subscription cancellation becoming a rampant practice. Personally, I’d rather observe this as a fundamental misunderstanding of what the console audience wants, transforming what was once the supposed greatest deal in gaming into the total inverse in the eyes of frustrated, betrayed supporters.
It’s quite undeniable that Game Pass is, still, a good deal. It’s a service that makes the need to purchase full-price titles often unnecessary on the Xbox platform, for they’ll arrive on the service between launch day and a few months after. However, forcibly onboarding what were previously customisable additives (a Ubisoft+ or Game Pass for PC subscription) onto the console player’s package is like bundling a bike with a car as a paid, mandatory and non-negotiable bonus, but make it monthly. Not every driver will want a bike, nor will every Xbox player wish for a Fortnite Crew subscription added to their subscription for £8 a month.
This infuriating change is certainly to commence the beginnings of a rough patch in Xbox’s reputation for many players. Not only is it marketed to us as a benefit, something we should be cheering for, but it’s not the first speedbump in a long line of price-hikes. As eluded to previously, the Series X among other consoles recently rose in price by £20, and Game Pass has been increasing by-the-pound for a while. It’s further worth mentioning that Microsoft has led the onslaught of mass lay-offs and the closings of major studios – a decision which began a disheartening domino-effect that reverberated through the industry.
Many reasons and apologies will be cited: the tariffs, corporate greed, a need to compete, though I personally find this feels like Microsoft has lost their touch with understanding the fans. Many of us have already found our way to play, our preferred device, so to be forced to pay extra for things we entirely don’t need is a betrayal to Game Pass’ previously superlative name. What Xbox describes as a scheme to increase “flexibility, choice and value” ironically feels like it achieves the opposite.
