Microsoft might be the last big contender to enter the console market, but that doesn't make it any less influential than its immediate competition. Xbox started the online gaming scene on consoles with its at-the-time revolutionary Xbox Live service, and the competition quickly followed suit with its offerings.
Microsoft is yet again making waves within the industry with Xbox Game Pass, and fans seem to be very positive on it. However, the giant seems to be reluctant towards pushing the original Xbox Live Gold subscription aside in favor of Game Pass, as has been reported by notable insiders on multiple occasions. While it's always best for the end-consumer to have a say in such matters, there's a multitude of reasons as to why ditching Xbox Live Gold entirely makes sense.
Xbox Game Pass Is Microsoft's Biggest Ace
As mentioned before, Xbox has struck gold with its forward-thinking and innovative subscription service. Some fans consider Xbox Game Pass to be the quintessential part of owning an Xbox console, for good reason. Microsoft has struggled with strong first-party output in the past, and while the giant has almost two dozen studios working for that very reason, many of those studios have yet to prove themselves.
That being said, the extended period of drought will be ending sooner rather than later. 343 Industries' Halo Infinite will be dropping this holiday, which should get the ball rolling for others to follow suit. Following the Bethesda acquisition, Starfield will also be an Xbox exclusive. That's without mentioning the pantheon of games announced this E3, with Redfall, Everwild, Contraband, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl all coming exclusively to the console in the near future.
Furthermore, all of this first-party content will be dropping on the service at launch. In addition to this, Xbox is currently pursuing a number of deals with third-party developers and indie developers to bring those games to the service at launch, increasing the value of the service by a massive margin.
Concerns With Subscription Services Outweighing The Benefits
However, it's understandable that many fans might have reservations about subscription services and aren't interested in the service at all. It could be because such fans might like owning physical copies of games, or already own a majority of the titles available on the service. Many have also shared concerns regarding ownership and how any of the games on offer could disappear at any given day, although announcements for such cases happen beforehand.
Despite this, having the luxury of owning the entire first-party catalog of Microsoft, with the ability to try out future titles at launch, is a tough deal to pass on. Almost the entirety of EA's catalog is also included in the service, and with the rumored inclusion of Ubisoft+ later this year, the value of the service could increase ten-fold. Xbox's Games With Gold offerings have repeatedly been of lower quality when compared to Xbox Game Pass' additions. While the former allows subscribers to claim and keep the games until one's subscription is active, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also includes the same benefits along with a plethora of others at a relatively minuscule $5 price bump.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: The Math Checks Out
Furthermore, Microsoft's pricing models make it such that fans opting for an Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscription are potentially operating at a loss when compared to an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Not only does an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription net subscribers the ability to play a plethora of games on PC and console, but it also allows access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. While Xbox Cloud Gaming still struggles with issues of network quality, it's still a fine enough option for gaming on the go for those interested. Of course, that also comes included with the service that again, costs just $5 more than the base offering.
Maintaining two entirely different subscription models requires more investment, not to mention how rapidly Xbox is signing multi-million dollar deals for getting high-profile releases onto the platform. Subscribers of Xbox Live Gold may have felt that impact already, with Xbox Games With Gold having a notable decline in quality, especially when compared to the immediate completion such as PS Plus.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Could Be Microsoft's Future
As GamesBeat reporter Jeff Grubb has reiterated recently, Microsoft already has plans for ditching the service entirely once Xbox Game Pass reaches a milestone number. Its already been mentioned that it could happen due to a number of reasons, but hopefully, there might be something much better with Xbox Game Pass becoming the standard. Speculatively speaking, all of the investment Microsoft continues to put into Xbox Live Gold may get diverted towards Xbox Game Pass, which could help grow the service to even newer heights.
Fans who might be considering upgrading to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate could do so now, since that nets them an early chance to try out many highly-acclaimed games that might be out of rotation at a later date. Xbox is also offering a special offer to entice fans to buy into the service, with first-timers having the luxury of subscribing to an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for three months at $1. Existing subscribers of Xbox Live Gold also get the option to upgrade the membership for the same price as well, after which the full price of $15 a month would be charged. The extra monthly payment is well worth what Xbox Game Pass provides players, especially now.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available now at $15/month.