Heralded as the closest thing so far to the “Netflix of Games”, the Xbox Game Pass formally arrives on June 1st for all. It will launch with 112 games available on day one and cost $9.99 a month. Additionally, members of the service will be able to purchase games from the Game Pass along with add-on content at a discounted rate.
For those unaware, you are able to download the full titles and play them offline just as you would any other title you own. Microsoft has previously commented that while some licensing issues may cause a game’s removal from time to time, their goal is to continue to add new games frequently.
Microsoft also announced that a 14 day free trial will be available to everyone, Xbox Live Gold Members can sign up immediately!
Our Take
It was only a matter of time before we saw a downloadable service for games similar to Netflix. According to Phil Spencer, they have been working on this for years as the licensing to acquire third party titles is likely very complicated. However we are largely optimistic for the service and considering an annual subscription only amounts to the same purchase price as two regularly priced games, we think it offers excellent value. We’ll be watching the evolution of Xbox Game Pass closely for sure.
