Xbox Live is Microsoft's subscription service that provides online access to paid multiplayer games alongside a roster of free games provided to subscribers monthly. For 18 years, Xbox Live Gold has been essential to Xbox players. However, many are now questioning whether the service is still of value, especially now that Microsoft Xbox Game Pass and Sony's PS Plus are seen as more valuable.
Not to mention, Xbox Live's chief competitor, Sony's PS Plus, has been stepping up its services, providing players with what many perceive as a better lineup of free games, including one for the PS5. Last February, Xbox Live appears to have changed its course, offering players a better roster of free games that included one Xbox Series X optimized title. Unfortunately, March 2021's Games with Gold was revealed, and subscribers were once again disappointed with what Microsoft has to offer. Of course, the big question now is, what should Microsoft do to ensure that Xbox Games with Gold stands the test of time?
A Better Lineup for Games with Gold
Before the big changes were introduced last February, an Xbox Live subscription is mandatory for Xbox players to access all online multiplayer games. However, Microsoft announced last month that free-to-play online games like Fortnite and Apex Legends would no longer need an Xbox Live subscription. This resulted in some players opting out of the service, especially since the roster of free games that Microsoft offers does not always equal the value of the monthly subscription fee.
Given this, Microsoft must change the way it approaches Games with Gold by changing the selection process of which games to offer subscribers every month. Like the standard set by February 2021's lineup of Games with Gold, Microsoft should include one Xbox Series X/S game and a triple-A Xbox One title. The rest could be allocated to indie games that may not be as popular but are still of value in terms of gameplay. Although Microsoft was able to do exactly this last February, this month's list of Xbox Games with Gold failed to reach that standard given that there were no Xbox Series X/S games, and the rest of the roster was lackluster.
Unsurprisingly, Xbox players aired their disappointment online, and the announcement video of March 2021's Xbox Games with Gold garnered more dislikes than likes. Of course, now that an Xbox Live subscription is no longer required to access free-to-play online games, the service's value is now heavily dependent on the monthly free games players receive. If Microsoft continues to offer lackluster Games with Gold, it wouldn't be surprising if Xbox players opt out of the service, switch to the Xbox Game Pass, or worse, abandon the Xbox completely and enter the PlayStation family of consoles instead.
Xbox Series X/S Games
Another important addition that Microsoft should include in Xbox Games with Gold is an Xbox Series X/S title, or at the very least, an Xbox Series X/S optimized game. It is worth noting that since the PS5's release last November, Sony consistently offers a PS5 game to PS Plus subscribers. It is a mystery why Microsoft cannot do the same, especially since more and more Xbox players are transitioning to the Xbox Series X or Series S.
Of course, both of the latest-generation Xbox consoles can play Xbox One games via backward compatibility. However, without access to next-gen games, Xbox Series X/S players will likely not see the value of retaining their subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft should make an effort to include players who own new-generation Xbox consoles, especially if it wants Xbox Live Gold to remain relevant and strive in this new-era of console gaming.