Whatever your opinion of the eternal battle between PlayStation and Xbox, one thing’s now clear – Xbox Game Pass is going to be an absolute game changer for Xbox Series X.
Every single one of the 21 titles shown off in its Xbox Game Showcase live event will be coming to Microsoft’s subscription service (and a fair few to PC too, with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate upgrade), meaning Xbox players with a subscription will have instant access to a healthy catalogue of games as soon as they pick up the new console.
From Halo Infinite to Everwild, the Fable reboot to Forza, they’ll all be available as part of the monthly subscription fee the moment they’re released. And, in the case of the first party Xbox Game Studios titles, they will be there forever too – provided you keep up your payments, of course.
Say bye-bye to sixty Buck/Euro/Pound (delete as appropriate) game purchases, and hello to a value-driven subscription future.
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- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: who's on top in the next console war?
- Our guide to Halo Infinite: open world, combat, and the return or Master Chief
Easing the burden of jumping to next gen
It’s a smart move from Microsoft, a Machiavellian machination it’s made for much of the second half of this current console cycle – get people hooked on the value of Game Pass and, much like Netflix, you’re likely to secure a dependable, lifetime drip of money from a customer too enamoured (or lazy) to switch off the cash tap.
Add in the Project xCloud streaming promise of taking all these games on the go with you on a mobile device, and it’s hard to find a weak link in Microsoft's next-gen strategy.
Sony’s PlayStation Now offering attempts a similar strategy, but hasn’t been able to match the apparent generosity of Microsoft’s service, what with the fact that its top-tier exclusive first party games hit Game Pass immediately upon release.
And with the price tags of both consoles still yet to be revealed, Microsoft is making an early play for value over the PS5 console. Sure, the hardware will be expensive, but with Xbox Game Pass you’ll get Xbox Series X’s best games for the cost of a takeaway per month. It’s hard to argue with, and Sony is going to have to dig deep to match it.
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