Microsoft Announces New Xbox Game Pass Service, $9.99 Gives Members Unlimited Access to Hundreds of Xbox Titles [VIDEO]
Aside from paying for a Microsoft Xbox Live Games with Gold membership, there is now yet another way to get tons of games for the Xbox One console without having to pay for each and every game. Microsoft recently announced their new Xbox Game Pass service, which will be giving players "unlimited access" to Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles for a small monthly subscription fee.
While the Microsoft Games with Gold program only gives members a small number of titles each month, the new Xbox Game Pass service lets subscribers have access to an entire library with more than a hundred games available. According to Gamespot, the membership fee for the new service will cost just $9.99 per month, with the program expected to launch in spring.
The new Xbox Game Pass service program will be open to all Xbox One owners and will not require an Xbox Live Gold membership. However, some multiplayer games will require the Gold membership in order to participate in online matches and modes.
As revealed on Xbox's official website, among the hundreds of titles that will be made available are dozens of triple-A titles such as "Halo 5: Guardians," "NBA 2K16," and more. New games will also apparently be added each month for the New Xbox Game Pass service, while less popular titles will be removed. All of the games can be directly downloaded into the member's console, which means that it can be played offline without any streaming or connectivity issues.
As an added bonus for members of the new Xbox Game Pass service, all of the games in the lineup can be permanently purchase with a 20 percent discount. All of the related add-ons, such as DLCs, bonus packages, and in-game purchases are also given a 10 percent discount. However, the discounts can only be given if the base game is still in the catalog during purchase.
Gamers who are members of the Xbox Insider Program will be able to test the service during the new Xbox Game Pass service alpha preview. The alpha test is now underway, but participants will only be able to access a limited number of games during the alpha period.