Industry analysts and hints from Xbox officials in recent years have pointed to an upcomingfree version of Xbox Game Pass. This may seem surprising,as the service has only increased in price since its inception. This new tier, which could be significantly cheaper or even free, would be supported by ads and allow gamers more access to a wide range of titles.
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A Cheaper Alternative Could Attract Millions Of Users
Adding moread-based tiers to subscription services has been a trend in recent years, like Disney+ Basic (With Ads) and Netflix’s Standard with Ads, allowing streaming companies to reach wider markets and constantly grow their base. Since this model seems to have worked for streaming services, though not without dissatisfaction from users who don’t want to see more ads while paying for a product, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see it appear in the gaming industry.
Adding a much cheaper option for players with less disposable income to take advantage of would most likely give Game Pass a considerable boost.
The Tier Could Be Region Locked
Like other ad-based subscription services, Xbox Game Pass would allow users to access games after watching a pre-set number of ads. There aren’t any official details on how exactly this would work in practice, butit’s possible users would get a certain amount of gameplay before being served an ad break, similar to how some mobile games operate. Based on Tim Stuart’s comments earlier, it’s also possible that any ad-based tier would be region-specific at first.
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Launching a cheaper version of theXbox Game Passto other regions wouldallow players with limited budgets to access more cost-prohibitive AAA titles. This doesn’t mean that an ad-based version will never come to countries like the United States, but Xbox may test the waters in different regions first. Bringing ads into a previously ad-free service will likely create some backlash significantly, as prices rise year after year and ads seem ubiquitous in entertainment. However, allowing players a cheaper option to access new games may appeal to a large demographic of gamers.
