For several years now, Xbox Live Gold has been the premier video game subscription service offered by Microsoft to Xbox players. However, it has been clear in the past few months that Microsoft intends to reallocate its efforts to Xbox Game Pass, which offers players access to hundreds of games from across the spectrum.

Although Microsoft has consistently disappointed subscribers of Xbox Live Gold with its diminishing benefits, some are still holding onto the service given its features, such as access to online multiplayer games and a monthly roster of free games. However, with both Microsoft and Sony having just launched new consoles, and with Nintendo rumored to be releasing a new version of the Switch, many may ask how Xbox Live Gold's benefits compare to those of its competitors.

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Xbox Live Gold vs. Nintendo Switch Online

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Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo are often lumped together as tight competitors, but in reality, Nintendo really has a thing of its own. However, comparing Xbox Live Gold to Nintendo Switch Online, both services offer a similar feature: access to online multiplayer. Although both Xbox Live Gold and Nintendo Switch Online provide access to free games, it is worth noting that Nintendo's offerings are currently limited to older generation games such as the SNES and NES. In contrast, the Xbox Live Gold provides a monthly roster of games from the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Xbox Live Gold vs. PS Plus

Unlike Nintendo Switch Online, a more direct comparison can be made between Sony's PS Plus and Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold. Given that developers usually create games for both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Sony and Microsoft are in tighter competition, especially now that both companies have launched new generation consoles. On paper, both PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold offer similar services, given that both provide access to online multiplayer, regular discounts on digital games, and access to a monthly roster of free games.

However, one of the biggest differences between the two services is the quality of games offered by PS Plus compared to Xbox Games with Gold. For several months now, Xbox Games with Gold's roster of free games comprises niche titles that most players haven't even heard of.  In comparison, PS Plus has offered big-name games such as Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Days Gone, and Zombie Army Dead War 4. Although there are rare instances that players are satisfied with Xbox Games with Gold's roster, it pales in comparison to the consistent quality offered by PS Plus.

More importantly, Sony's PS Plus has been able to include PS5 games on its roster, which is something that Xbox Live Gold had failed to do apart from one instance when it offered an Xbox Series X optimized version of Gears 5. In the end, it remains unclear why Microsoft doesn't appear to be that bothered by the continuous decline of Xbox Live Gold, especially since the PS Plus not only offers better games but is future-proofing itself by offering PS5 titles. However, with the continuous rise of the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft may be just letting Xbox Live Gold run its course.

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