Microsoft is planning to make its Xbox Game Pass also available on the PC as part of its new freeform gaming strategy, alongside embracing the streaming culture.
Xbox One owners have been able to play all manner of first- and third-party titles thanks to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, where for $9.99 a month they can access a constantly updating archive of some of the system’s best games. For example, last month saw the likes of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Quantum Break added to it, and players can even get hold of some games on the day of their release like Sea of Thieves. With such a popular service at Microsoft’s disposal, it comes as no surprise that it will soon be bringing the Game Pass to PC as well.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the decision as part of the company’s plans for the future, also revealing that Microsoft experienced strong growth in its Xbox sector during its Q1 2019 fiscal report. Revenue in gaming is up 44% while hardware and software are up 94% and 36% respectively. Details of the PC Game Pass are scarce at the time of writing but we can assume that it will essentially work the exact same way as it does on the Xbox – players can access the game library for an unlimited time as long as they pay the monthly subscription. We might see more details, like a release date, at the upcoming Xbox X0 event next month.
This news follows on from previous Microsoft announcements regarding the company’s future in terms of gaming. Only a couple of weeks ago, it announced that it will be offering its own streaming service, Project xCloud, to rival the likes of Sony’s PlayStation Now. Features will include being able to play console and PC games on mobile devices.
There are also rumors of Microsoft having two next-gen consoles already in development. While one was confirmed as such at E3 this year, codenamed Scarlet, there have been reports that a second console is also in the works and will be cloud-based only. As it stands, however, nothing has been confirmed and this info could be false.
The Xbox Game Pass is available right now, while Microsoft’s Xbox X0 will take place on November 10th – 11th.
