The success of Xbox Game Pass cannot be understated. Since the service launched in 2017, the number of subscribers to Xbox's flagship service has rapidly grown, but in the first few months of 2021, the number of subscribers to Xbox Game Pass seems to have grown at an even greater rate than ever before, putting this on course to be the most successful year ever for it.
According to Microsoft's Vice President of Gaming Sarah Bond, Game Pass subscribers spend more money on games and are more open to trying new genres, which has led to many developers and publishers praising the service. With so much positive press, it is no wonder why subscriber numbers are increasing faster than ever before.
As of April 20, 2021, the number of subscribers to Game Pass is over 23 million according to Windows Central writer Jez Corden. While a subscriber count of 23 million is impressive, the tweet was a reply to another which stated Game Pass had over 22 million as of April, meaning in the space of 20 days the service gained a million subscribers. On top of this, in January 2021 it was reported that Game Pass had reached 18 million subscribers, making this a five million subscriber gain in four months.
These figures suggest nearly a quarter of all Game Pass's current subscribers joined the service in 2021. Consider both the Xbox Series S and X are still hard to find in stores, and that Microsoft is currently undergoing a drought in exclusives, this increasing interest in Game Pass bodes well for Microsoft. When Halo Infinite and other anticipated titles are released and join the service in 2021, Game Pass could be in for another huge uptake in subscribers, and it could mark the beginning of the Game Pass generation.
With the popularity of Game Pass, the pressure is mounting for Sony to introduce a similar service on PlayStation sooner rather than later. PlayStation Now is not gaining the same level of attention as Game Pass, partly due to most of the games on the service needing to be streamed rather than downloaded. The value of both services is also totally different, with Game Pass Ultimate including Xbox Live and many other features. However, PlayStation users need both PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now to get a similar service for almost the same price.
The momentum behind Xbox Game Pass is well earned, as Microsft has supported the service well and established it as a key part of the Xbox brand. It has proven a hit with developers and gamers alike, and the subscriber will probably continue to rise rapidly.