It's been years now since Microsoft products, or rather the gill that currently takes the name of Xbox division, announced and showed the service to the world Xbox Game Pass. This is the idea of the future videogame according to the Redmond house, as well as one of the first steps to regain ground in the current videogame generation, dominated by PlayStation on the field of consoles. Since its official release in 2017, the service has continued to evolve month by month, getting closer to the reality that the company wants to offer daily to its users it owns. Xbox One, PC, or who is interested in buying the upcoming one Xbox Series X.
An initially interesting catalog, which has kept the promise of offer all Xbox Game Studios first party titles for free, ultimately managed to do much more. The subscription included in its offer hundreds of titles from studios around the globe, as well as a more pronounced variety thanks to the acquisition of new software houses, currently part of the Xbox Game Studios family. Meanwhile, the securities of the financing initiative were also added to the package ID @ Xbox and bonuses in the form of DLCs and prizes. Taking stock of the situation at the gates of the next generation, let's see together all the details on the offer of the Xbox division, which seems to be them the workhorse of the next generation of gaming.
Is Xbox Game Pass the videogame Netflix?
If there's anything the Xbox division has been able to beat Sony, those are undoubtedly the services, which are clearly better for a large range of users. Compared to PlayStation Now, Xbox Game Pass is in fact another universe, and Microsoft has decided to include all its productions in the subscription also to dissociate itself from the more classic PlayStation and Nintendo tactics, where the exclusives produced by first party software houses are sold at full price. . Not for this, however, Xbox Game Pass can properly be defined as the Netflix of video games. Recalling also when stated by Phil Spencer, head of the Xbox division, Netflix only allows the purchase of a subscription to enjoy the proposed catalog, and all the titles of the same are included for users who support the company with subscriptions. Whether we are talking about the Xbox One platform, through the dedicated store, or PC, through theXbox app and Microsoft products Store, virtual stores offer many titles not included in the service. Furthermore, every single game can be purchased individually, and the subscription is therefore a simple choice that users are not forced to make if they want to get their hands only on a limited amount of the titles in the catalog. In fact, just think that some Xbox Game Studios titles are placed on the Steam platform, which - despite being fully compatible with cross-play for those who own the license on another platform - is not a proprietary store of the Xbox division.
Having said this, it should be specified that there are a total of 3 subscriptions linked to the Xbox Game Pass. The first, or the initial one, is theXbox Game Pass for consoles, which at a price of € 9,99 per month allows you to use the service on the Xbox One family. The same also applies to a further possibility linked to the PC world, through theXbox Game Pass for PC, which is offered for the first month at € 1, and for the following months at € 3,99 instead of € 9,99, at least for a limited period still in force. The last is theXbox Game Pass Ultimate, which at the price of 1 € for the first month, and 12,99 € for the following months, guarantees both of the aforementioned subscriptions, together with the service Xbox Live Gold to play online on Xbox platforms and to enjoy Games With Gold monthly, without forgetting the exclusives Advantages present in some specific titles included in the proposed catalog. Furthermore, starting from September 15th, this will allow you to benefit from Project xCloud, a Cloud Gaming technology that will give users the opportunity to play on PCs and Smartphones through the internet connection alone, without using the computing power of the devices in question. As if that were not enough, users continually receive bargains that are nothing short of advantageous, such as discounts on titles to buy, or even unmissable offers such as the well-known "3 months for 1 euro".
A sea of titles and convenience
Nowadays, considering the subscription is definitely a must, at least for anyone with a platform supported by the Xbox service. The Xbox Game Pass in fact presents a currently boundless catalog, which undoubtedly manages to satisfy every possible taste of gamers, and which is updated from month to month, while the number of titles available and always ready to be played for free does nothing but increase. Unfortunately, while the offer is updated positively, some productions promptly leave their place to others, being sold for the following days at a discounted price. Seeing dozens of independent works that may surprise players, as well as rolling the random die to “find the next title to play” is really tempting. In the meantime, you can too pay a bargain price for the service to enjoy even a large production among those present, which is sold in any case at a much higher figure than the cost of one month of the Xbox Game Pass, which offers dozens of other experiences in the meantime.
It should also be considered that the entire Xbox ecosystem blends seamlessly with the offering, and that all Xbox Game Studios games available on PC or Xbox can then be resumed on the other platform. Starting from the initiative ofauto-compilation of PC titles, started in 2016 with Gears of War 4, it is possible to share progress between platforms, not to mention that in most cases it also allows you to have access to the implemented cross-play. Some titles on Xbox Game Pass for PC are not on console, and vice versa, but most of the works are included on both platforms. The arrival of many Game as a Service in the Xbox lineup it also improves the effectiveness of the service, which is also perfect for returning from time to time to enjoy a production that is updated gradually, and which always has fresh content to offer to users who return.
While we have an unmissable offer in front of us, we look forward to finding out how the Xbox initiative will evolve, which we hope will remain equally convenient for the next generation of gaming. Initiatives such as the merger with EA Play, or news that we do not even imagine!
