Xbox Game Pass $1 trial subscription time is shorter
Expect the Xbox Game Pass $1 trial to last even less time, as the current model sees the subscription last for just two weeks rather than a month. The new change also hints at a new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate deal, which may offer more than a free month of service.
Xbox Game Pass is essentially Netflix for games, offering players access to a library of over 1,000 games for a monthly subscription. While the service has a lot of fans, recent changes have made it a more costly service. The monthly reward output for Xbox players decreased from 2,000 to 1,000 points, and Game Pass subscription prices increased in June.
Now, a change to Xbox Game Pass subscriptions on the Xbox website hints at a new model for the service, as the $1 trial now lasts just two weeks. Currently, the trial works by granting players two weeks of access to all Game Pass titles, then they have the option to subscribe in order to continue playing.
The new change, spotted by Wario64 on Twitter, instead gives players 14 days for $1, then $16.99 per month. The deal also offers players a 14-day Xbox Game Pass free trial, so those who want to try the service can do so without paying a dime.
While the trial offers players a chance to try the service for free, it also makes the subscription itself more costly. Instead of paying $1 for two weeks of service and then deciding whether or not to keep the subscription, players now have to commit to it for two weeks before they even know whether or not they want it.
In addition, if a player were to subscribe to Game Pass but then change their mind about having it, they would have lost two weeks’ worth of service, which would have come with its own benefits. But, if players do want the subscription, then it will come with a reward for playing a game, which is a plus.
The change to Xbox Game Pass subscriptions coincides with a change to Xbox Live Gold, as Microsoft plans to phase out and replace the subscription service with Game Pass Core. Gold still offers access to more games, but the library is smaller and players no longer get more free monthly games.
Instead, Gold games obtained over the years will still be accessible, and they will not count toward the Game Pass Core library. Changes will take effect in September, which also happens to be around the same time as the release of Xbox’s biggest game yet, Starfield.
Players are unhappy with the recent changes, and they are not the only ones. PlayStation Plus offers three tiers with prices ranging from $9.99 to $17.99, but it also includes free monthly games in addition to its library. Game Pass offers day-one access to new triple-A releases, but it also comes with a larger price tag.
You can check out the Xbox Game Pass changes, which are currently trending, here.
Featured image credit: Microsoft.
