Microsoft recently announced that it’s rebranding Xbox Game Pass for PC as PC Game Pass. The name is far from the main issue with the PC subscription service.
I’m an Xbox Game Pass evangelist. I’ve been a subscriber for years, and I’ve recommended it to the point of annoyance to many of my console and PC gaming friends. Microsoft rebranded the PC version at The Game Awards. I’m still a fan, but the issues with PC Game Pass go far beyond the name. The Xbox app on Windows 11 and Windows 10 has consistently been an issue since PC Game Pass launched in 2019. And now that Microsoft wants the PC version to sit on the same level as the console one, it’s time to start addressing the problem. First, the background. Xbox Game Pass for PC is now PC Game Pass, which Microsoft revealed through a tongue-in-cheek trailer at The Game Awards. It’s about how everyone associates Game Pass with consoles and ignores the PC portion. That’s true. Game Pass is now synonymous with Xbox. Although Microsoft offers PC Game Pass alone, most people are getting it through a Game Pass Ultimate subscription (which includes the console and PC versions, as well as Xbox Live). I’ve had a few friends this year get into PC gaming, totally unaware that they could access hundreds of games for a few bucks each month. It’s enough of an issue, at least, that Microsoft decided to make a trailer about it for The Game Awards. I’ve used PC Game Pass since it launched, and I can tell you that the name isn’t — and never was — the problem. The problem with PC Game Pass is the Xbox app. I’ve used PC Game Pass since it launched two years ago, and the Xbox app has always been the most consistent pain point. It’s prone to bugs, horribly disorganized, and missing essential features that make platforms like Steam tick.
