Several days ago, Microsoft announced July's roster of Xbox Free Games with Gold. Like the past months, Xbox Live Gold subscribers get four free games to add to their collection. Usually, the roster consists of two Xbox One games and two Xbox 360 games. However, it appears that Microsoft is shaking things up a bit by adding one game from the original Xbox.

Yesterday, Microsoft released some of July's Free Games with Gold early, as subscribers can now download Planet Alpha for the Xbox One and Conker: Live and Reloaded for the original Xbox. On the other hand, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break will be available from July 16 to August 15, while Midway: Arcade Origins will be available from July 16 to 31. While the inclusion of an original Xbox title may be a huge change from previous months, it is still not for the better, given that it still doesn't offer any true game for the Xbox Series X and S.

RELATED: Where Do Xbox Games with Gold Fit in Microsoft's Future Plans?

Still No Xbox Series X/S Game

xbox series x s consoles

Since the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S last November, Microsoft has yet to include support for the latest generation of consoles for Xbox Live Gold players. Although the inclusion of Conker: Live and Reloaded for the original Xbox sparked some interest from nostalgic gamers, it still doesn't solve the huge issue that Xbox Live Gold players continue to face: the lack of an Xbox Series X/S game.

While all of the games mentioned above are playable on new consoles via backward compatibility, Microsoft is yet to include a true Xbox Series X/S game to Xbox Live Gold. Of course, this puts Live Gold subscribers at a disadvantage, especially when compared to players subscribed to Sony's PS Plus. It is no secret that ever since Sony released the PS5, the company has consistently included a PS5 game in its roster of free titles for PS Plus subscribers.

Will Xbox Games with Gold Offer an Xbox Series X/S Game in the Future?

At this point, it is difficult to predict whether Microsoft plans to include an Xbox Series X/S game in its roster of free titles for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Six months have already passed since 2021 began, and Microsoft still hasn't included a proper next-generation game to Xbox Live Gold. The only exception has been February's Games with Gold, which included an Xbox Series X/S optimized version of Gears 5. However, it is worth remembering that the only reason Microsoft included an Xbox Series X/S optimized game in February was to appease disgruntled subscribers after the company's failed attempt to implement a price hike.

Another reason Microsoft may not be including next-gen games in Xbox Live Gold is Xbox Game Pass. It is no secret that Microsoft has been focusing its time and resources on developing Xbox Game Pass as the future of Xbox Gaming. At E3 2021 last month, Microsoft unveiled its plans for Xbox Game Pass and announced a long list of Xbox Series X/S games that will be available to the service on day one. Additionally, Microsoft's growing list of third-party developers guarantees that more titles will be coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Given that Microsoft made no mention of any plans or changes coming to Xbox Live Gold, it appears that the service will remain at status quo for the foreseeable future. This could mean that players shouldn't expect the inclusion of Xbox Series X/S games on Xbox Live Gold for the foreseeable future. This could be problematic for Live Gold subscribers, especially since more and more players are transitioning to the newer Xbox consoles. In the end, while the lack of Xbox Series X/S games on Xbox Live Gold is a huge disappointment, at least players on next-gen Xbox consoles will still be able to play all the future Games with Gold thanks to the extensive backward compatibility of the Xbox Series X/S.

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