Since launching the Xbox Game Pass game subscription service just over two years ago, Microsoft has made major updates to make it more worthwhile for subscribers. First party games are now available on Xbox Game Pass at launch and free trials are also available.

According to prominent games industry leaker WalkingCat, Microsoft is preparing the next major update for Xbox Game Pass. Called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the combo service will package Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscription into one monthly payment of $14.99. The deal will be made a little sweeter for members of the Xbox Insiders program. They will be able to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 a month until the combined subscription service launches in full.

WalkingCat's tweet received a reply from Brad Sams, the journalist and leaker of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox plans. Sams joked that the leaker had "beat me to this," and encouraged WalkingCat to "find the one for PC." Sams' tweet, if correct, suggests that Microsoft will formally roll out Xbox Game Pass to Windows PC players. Windows PC do get a form of Xbox Game Pass, as games available on the Xbox Play Anywhere program can be enjoyed on PC. However, this is just a fraction of the Xbox Game Pass library and expanding it could be very lucrative for the Xbox platform holder.

Doing the math, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate doesn't make subscribing to Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass any cheaper for non-Xbox Insiders. Xbox Game Pass costs $9.99 a month and Xbox Live Gold is around $5 a month, as Microsoft offers a 50% discount for annual subscribers.

What it does do, though, is provide an easy and uncomplicated way for Microsoft to get new subscribers on a higher subscription tier. While a new Xbox player may not want to sign up for Xbox Live Gold and then sign up again for Xbox Game Pass, signing up to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate may seem a lot simpler. It makes promoting the services and converting people to subscribers a lot easier too.

Microsoft has a lot to gain from getting more people subscribing to its services. If people play more games then they may be more likely to spend money within those games. If they're happy with Microsoft's services, subscribers may be more likely to upgrade to other services like Project xCloud. So while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate hasn't been confirmed yet, from a business point of view, it does sound like a good idea.