Xbox Game Pass Usage Is Way Up This Year

One of the pillars of Microsoft's next-gen strategy is Xbox Game Pass, the subscription service that includes more than 100 games and all first-party titles. This program is going very well so far, and now Microsoft has shared some new statistics that speak to its popularity.

In a blog post, Microsoft said "engagement" with Xbox Game Pass in November 2020 more than doubled where it was in November 2019. Additionally, Microsoft called out some of the most successful titles in Game Pass for November, listing them (in no particular order) as Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Rainbow Six Siege, Tetris Effect Connected, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Microsoft also revealed that, in the past month alone, Xbox users have played more than 3,800 different games and spent "billions" of hours on the Xbox platform.

Some other, more general statistics about the Xbox Series X|S launch were divulged, too, including that players have collectively used the Smart Delivery system to complete more than 1.6 million upgrades from last-gen to new-gen. Additionally, more than 40% of players who are coming to Xbox for the first time are playing on Xbox Series S.

This statistic is particularly notable because it seems to demonstrate that Microsoft's plan to reach a new audience with the more affordable console ($300 USD for the Series S versus $500 USD for the Series X) is working.

In other Xbox news, Microsoft is finally launching the xCloud service on iOS in Spring 2021, which is also when the platform expands to a series of new markets.

Xbox Game Pass currently has more than 15 million subscribers, a number that is expected to grow over the holiday season as more people pick up new consoles--if they can find them. Game Pass is also available on PC and mobile.

We might not have to wait long to hear about what's next for Xbox, as the company has teased some news during The Game Awards on Thursday.