In recent years, there’s been a major push for making more free content available for consumers. The sheer number of free games available to gamers at any given time is unprecedented, but people are always seeming to want more. An excellent solution to this is Xbox Game Pass which, for a small subscription price, allows players to have access to hundreds of games at any given time for no extra cost. This model seems like the way of the future when it comes to “free” content, as there’s not much incentive for companies to constantly be giving things away for absolutely no cost. It’s for this reason that other subscription-based game services are starting to rear their heads.
Although many of the subscription service projects haven't been officially announced yet, it seems like both Sony and Nintendo are going to try their hands at the services in the coming years. More choice for consumers is always a good thing, however, it feels unlike that any other game subscription service made by Sony, Nintendo, or any other company will ever be able to catch Xbox Game Pass. While they might be able to come close to matching Game Pass' success or become quality services of their own, it's unlikely that any service will ever be able to outrun it entirely.
The Potential Subscription Services on the Gaming Horizon
Sony and Nintendo are essentially the two major companies that would potentially be able to match Game Pass' success in terms of console-based subscription services. As they are the major console manufacturers, the ball is in their court to make good on subscription services for each platform. That said, it's likely that if they do end up doing something akin to making a Game Pass of their own, they would look drastically different.
So far, it seems like Sony is gearing up for some sort of gaming subscription service reveal. There have been rumors that the company is partnering with Netflix to create a gaming section of the popular streaming service. Currently, there isn't much information on if that's true or what it would look like if it were. PlayStations already have a designated Game Pass-like streaming service with PS Now, but access to the service was simply bundled with a Netflix subscription, it doesn't seem like it would do much to impress gaming enthusiasts.
It's for this reason that fans think that there's something more to the rumored partnership between Sony and Netflix and that it might be more impressive than simply pairing the two company's streaming services together. If it's offering more than that, it seems to stand the best chance at offering something new to gaming enthusiasts that they won't be able to get on Xbox Game Pass.
Nintendo, on the other hand, always seems to march to the beat of its own drum, for better and for worse. The company already has something relatively equivalent to Game Pass with the Nintendo Switch Online service that offers a handful of free classic Nintendo titles to subscribers. That said, it's hardly comparable to Game Pass as it doesn't feature any games that anyone would classify as new and there are several major holes in the library's catalog. It seems like Nintendo might be rounding out the service by adding classic Game Boy games, however, if those rumors are true, they still won't make the service anywhere near as enticing as Game Pass.
Microsoft's Huge Lead in Subscription Services
One of the major problems for both Nintendo and Sony when trying to figure out how to make something that can compete with Game Pass is that both companies are already several years behind Microsoft. Although it's only recently started gaining mainstream popularity because of Microsoft's push to release its AAA titles on the service the day they launch, Game Pass has been around since 2017 and has learned a lot in its five-year run. Microsoft has learned valuable lessons about running a subscription service before it was in the mainstream eyes of the public allowing for Game Pass to become the gaming giant that it is today
If Sony or Nintendo were to announce their "solution" to Game Pass, the service that they provide would be looked at by just about everyone and the growing pains of each service would be widely known. Any sort of issues would be directly contrasted with the easy-to-use functionality of Game Pass, essentially setting the service up for failure as any comparisons between a brand new service and one that's had over five years of experience wouldn't really paint the newcomer in a great light. What's more, it took Microsoft a long time to be able to offer its AAA games for free on the service which already puts any other service that isn't doing the same thing at a disadvantage. It's likely that wouldn't be possible for quite a while for Sony or Nintendo, so the companies would need to find something else they could offer that would be of equal value. If they can't, then they're putting themselves in a poor position right off the bat.
More Games Is Always a Good Thing
At the end of the day, allowing for more gaming enthusiasts to have easy access to games is a good thing no matter what. Just because Game Pass might be the best service for the time being doesn't mean that the other services that other companies offer aren't good or don't have any merits. Game Pass' success is a great thing for anyone looking for a great deal in gaming and, hopefully, another service comes along sooner or later to potentially match what Game Pass is offering. As it stands right now, however, there doesn't seem to be much in terms of competition for the service, but the next few years will likely see Sony and Nintendo address the demand for a subscription-based service on their platforms with more than what they're currently offering.
Xbox Game Pass is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.