Microsoft exploring a cheaper ad-supported Xbox Game Pass 'Lite'?

Source

What you need to know

• A purported survey posted on ResetEra suggests that Microsoft may be exploring an ad-supported tier of Xbox Game Pass, which also grants Xbox Live Gold.
• The cheaper tier would include all of Xbox's exclusive library of games, including major first-party titles six months after launch. Those games, however, would play ads upon launch to help fund the tier.
• Microsoft also recently patented personalized ads to show in games, which seems suspiciously timely given this survey.
• It may also be nothing.
  
  

If real, the purported tier would cost $3 dollars per month, and provide access to a variety of Xbox Game Pass content with some fairly generous limitations. It would include an EA Access-like vault of past first-party Xbox games, with a similar 6-month delay on new Xbox games from hitting the service. Those who accessed these download-only Xbox games via this tier would be asked to view an ad before the game starts rolling.

Fantastic news. MS for the gamers, Sony for the shareholders.

Not my kind of thing but if it works for some.🤷🏽‍♂️

Interesting but I’d probably just stick with the current subscription myself.

Personally not for me if true, but I get the appeal if you have kids. Netflix have done the same.

Goodbye Movie games, hello TV games. lol

TV, TV, TV

Have they rehired someone?

Not for me, but I think it would definitely appeal to some.

Game Pass can pretty much be subsidized monthly with Bing Rewards.

• The cheaper tier would include all of Xbox's exclusive library of games, including major first-party titles six months after launch.

Boom! That's what I was expecting them to do. I thought three months but six might be what they're going for. I still expect a price bump.

Yay , ads popping up mid game FTW

They're not going to do ads. They're just planting the idea of a cheaper tier that doesn't include day one first party games.

If they're throwing in ads, they made as well make it free. It would practically not be much different from mobile at this point

If the ads are just when you start the game .... that's almost a non issue. Just launch the game, go use the bathroom ... and then play.

Since ubiquitous demos are never coming back, this might be the next best thing. Depending on what games they offer. And if they're held for 6 months, maybe they'll actually be playable by then... maybe.

Omnonnom, more cheapness for the trash gobblers.

MS...for the players

PlayStation...for the payers

A 3 dollar tier is very nice. Will attract a lot of people I bet. The 6 month thing means very little me other than those people will be playing better versions of their games than the higher priced tier.

Would be nice if GamePass had new first party games to play 😎

They did as of last month.😎

I could imagine a very emotional scene playing out, only for it to be cut off by an ad. What a mood killer that would be.

Other service providers do this already, so Microsoft joining into the fray wouldn't be out of the ordinary. It would probably be very popular still, and MS would be getting more cash flow with the ad revenue. Seems like a very smart business decision, especially if GP is indeed going to have a price increase.

How many millions are they gonna lose with this one? If they weren't losing as much money every year, maybe Halo Infinite would have enough budget to release more than two maps per year🤣

I meant ones on the same level as Sony and Nintendo 😎

How would they lose millions? A different tier offered that contains ad, and they get not only the subscription price, but also ad revenue. It seems to me they'll get more from this than their current tier.

@SolidGame_basic: Got you to backpedal.🤣

You’re pretending that you didn’t know what I meant 😎

@SolidGame_basic: You are really struggling with being wrong.😂

Well Well Well

All that talk about GamePass going up in price and they release a lower tier.

Shows Microsoft know what they are doing and some people in here should take note.

I think this is one of those things Microsoft is mulling over but that's probably not the same as having plans to implement, it would require exploring plans to make it viable to market and whatnot. Just like plans to have a Game Pass streaming TV dongle went far as to develop prototypes and testing before plug was pulled due to inability to sell it cheaply.

not something i'd be interested in but nothing wrong with more options..

Meanwhile Sony giving us trash and cows just bending over.

It def, def, isn't going to result in the base price rising.

Def.

Is this $3 vs $15? I'd be fine with an ad before a game. 6 month thing is fine too.

No they need to increase the price

It seems obvious to me that MS is resorting to such desperate measures because they can't attract enough of the users they want at the regular price. In fact, they admit that Game Pass growth has been slower than expected and has not reached their company's target numbers.

If that's the case, it's more reminiscent of games moving to F2P because they can't sell full price, rather than a seemingly similar Netflix-like business model.

Yeah that seems kind of rough. Should be one or the other.

Ads lmao. The Netflix of gaming strikes again. TLHBO

This isn't about PlayStation.