Xbox Game Pass Is "Not For Everybody," Phil Spencer Says

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has further discussed Xbox Game Pass, saying the subscription service is "not for everybody," and that if every Game Pass subscriber canceled their membership and decided to buy games outright instead, that would be good for Microsoft as well.

So who is Game Pass for? Spencer told Variety it can be a "healthy option for certain people," but he acknowledged that Microsoft isn't trying to get everyone to sign up.

"It's not for everybody. If you play one or two games a year, Game Pass probably isn't the right business model for you; you should just buy those two games, and that would make total sense," he said. "But I want you to have the choice. So we remain focused on everything that's on Game Pass is also available to buy."

Many have wondered about the economic realities of Game Pass, and while Spencer didn't get into that, he said the number of total hours people are playing on Xbox "continues to grow fairly substantially," in part due to Game Pass. "Game Pass has been an important part of that, but I don't try to solve for Game Pass specifically on its own. It's kind of part of the equation for Xbox finding new players," he said.

As Spencer has said time and again over the years, Game Pass is only one option in the overall Xbox ecosystem for how people can play games on Xbox. He's not trying to get everyone to sign up, but instead wants to position Game Pass as one possible way to consume Xbox games.

"I've always thought about Game Pass as just another option for somebody who wants to play. We have many business models for people playing from free-to-play, buying games, discounted games--Game Pass is an option," he explained. "So when I'm looking at Game Pass, I want to make sure the hours that people are playing continue to go up, that new people see this as a way for them to find and build their library of games, and we remain focused on that," he said.

Also in the interview, Spencer said the video game console business is "good," but it's an "established" market sector that is "not really a growing segment in gaming," at least not for Microsoft. As such, Spencer said that's why you're seeing Microsoft invest in and support PC and cloud as much as it is.

"There isn't a unique need for Game Pass to be the only way for people to play. If everybody who's a Game Pass subscriber instead decided to buy their games, that's good for the business as well."

While console sales may not be growing for Xbox, they are for its rival PlayStation. The industry also saw enormous console growth with Nintendo's Switch console, which has sold more than 150 million units to rank as Nintendo's best-selling home platform ever.

In related news, the Game Pass library was restocked this week with GTA 5 for Xbox Series X|S and GTA 5 Enhanced for PC. For more, check out GameSpot's rundowns of all the games heading to Game Pass in April 2025 and every title leaving.

Games Joining Game Pass In April And May 2025, Including Clair Obscur And Call Of Duty

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