Xbox Live Subscription Update
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft is making moves with their Xbox Live subscriptions according to a recent Xbox Wire post. Initially the company announced a price increase which was taken back later in the day. There were other actual benefits that may have been overlooked during the pricing fiasco. The first is a limited offer to Xbox Live Gold members who may be looking to upgrade services. The second is that Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S owners without an active Xbox Live Gold membership will see additional support as well. The Load Screen covers those benefits and what they mean for anyone looking to take advantage of the latest Xbox deals.
The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers hundreds of games to download or stream to PC, Xbox devices, and android phones. Gamers who only have Xbox Live Gold memberships only get access to a few titles for free every month, but they can upgrade to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at an exchange cost. Microsoft has improved the exchange rate to be even. This means that Xbox Live Gold members who have 6 months of service will have six months of Game Pass Ultimate membership if they decide to upgrade. Combine that with Microsoft’s first month of Game Pass Ultimate for $1, and the thrifty gamer can maximize monthly savings. Even further, if the user has not upgraded services yet, they can load additional months of Xbox Gold Live membership before making the leap to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
There is also additional support for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S owners who do not have an Xbox Live Gold membership. In the next coming months, users can play free-to-play games on Xbox devices without any subscriptions. In the past, system changes that required a download or any online multiplayer game on the Xbox One also required having Xbox Live Gold membership. With this news, free-to-play games are now absolutely free on Xbox consoles.
While Microsoft took heat for attempting to increase the base cost of its online subscription service required for most Xbox games to be fully enjoyed, they quickly made up for it. The no penalty upgrade cost for Xbox Live Gold members can give players stuck at home hundreds of titles to play instantly with no loss of subscription time. Even Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S owners without active Xbox Live Gold can get enjoyment from any free-to-play title they want. Microsoft is putting the gamer and their budget first with these changes. The Load Screen looks forward to new Game Pass titles and those offered free with Xbox Live Gold membership in the coming months.
