Microsoft asks fans’ opinions on ad-supported Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft could be set to introduce a cheaper ad-supported tier to Xbox Game Pass.

An unverified screenshot of a survey Microsoft sent out to players, posted on ResetEra, reports that they are allegedly exploring a tiered system, inviting fans to “consider hypothetical subscriptions”.

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A family plan reportedly offers all the benefits of the current Xbox Game Pass service for €22 per month, across five users using consoles and PC, while for €3 one user would be able to have an Xbox Live Gold-like plan.

Under the new plan, Microsoft’s first-party games would be delayed for six months after being released, and adverts would play before all games played from the XGP library.

Meanwhile, Microsoft detailed plans to build a “next-generation game store” on mobile platforms earlier this year.

The company outlined its plans in a regulatory filing published in October with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is investigating Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

As spotted by The Verge, the filing states: “The transaction will improve Microsoft’s ability to create a next generation game store which operates across a range of devices, including mobile as a result of the addition of Activision Blizzard’s content.

“Building on Activision Blizzard’s existing communities of gamers, Xbox will seek to scale the Xbox Store to mobile, attracting gamers to a new Xbox Mobile Platform.

“Shifting consumers away from the Google Play Store and App Store on mobile devices will, however, require a major shift in consumer behaviour. Microsoft hopes that by offering well-known and popular content, gamers will be more inclined to try something new.”

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