Summary
When I first started working in games media, I only had enough money to buy one current-gen console. I knew that I would eventually have to get my hands on both, somehow, so I could play and write about first-party exclusives from bothSonyandMicrosoft, but I had to pick one to start with.
When I bought theXbox Series X, it wasn’t because of superior specs or better exclusives or even a preference for green. No, I picked it because ofGame Pass. I wanted to be able to playXbox’slibrary of older but iconic games, filling the gaps in my video game knowledge so I could write about the industry and its trends more effectively.
I started with Game Pass Ultimate, but my priorities changed and I stopped having the time to play older games because I was focusing on covering new ones. Last December, I downgraded to the cheaper Game Pass for Console so I’d still have access to Game Pass’ day one releases, but in March, I cancelled my subscription completely.
Xbox’s exclusives haven’t been capturing my interest, and since I was selectively focusing my attention only on specific triple-A games and indies, it didn’t have much value for me anymore. Lately, I’ve been playing with the idea of subscribing to Ultimate again, butthe announced changes to Xbox’s Game Pass tiers have sealed that prospect off for me.
Game Pass’s Changes Are Infuriating
The long and short of why Xbox’s confusing reshuffling of its Game Pass service is so egregious is that a price increase alone is one thing, but to increase the price while reducing functionality is a whole new level of slimy. Players have a right to be angry about it.
Xbox’s Changes Are Just The Latest In A Long List Of Reasons To Be Mad
It’s hard not to think poorly of Xbox right now, Game Pass aside. A brutal round of layoffsdecimated Xbox’s first-party studios, showinginfuriating shortsightednessand afrustrating focus on Bethesda IP over actually smaller, more innovative projects. At the Xbox showcase,the layoffs and closures weren’t acknowledged, andan interview with Xbox president Sarah Bondprovided weak non-answers and offered absolutely no significant insight into why this egregious decision was made.
Why Would I Want To Give Microsoft My Money Anymore?
Out of the very cool games at Xbox’s showcase, it’s not clear which of those big triple-As will be exclusive to Xbox, but we already know many (like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Doom: The Dark Ages) will be multiplatform, and most of them won’t be out in the near future. If I do the maths, I’m still saving more money if I pick and choose which of Xbox’s exclusives to pull out my wallet for. In which case, why would I want to guarantee Microsoft a steady stream of cash from my bank account, especially since it’s increasing the price of that access and being shady about it?
I’m not going to stop playing Xbox exclusives, but I’m done with Game Pass. It no longer has the value that it promised me, and for gamers with the same priorities, it no longer serves them either. Quite frankly, unless you’re the kind of player who avoids newer games and prefers to sink into the library of older titles, Game Pass isn’t worth it anymore. Great job, Xbox.
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s subscription service, offering hundreds of games for modern Xbox consoles and PC, all for a regular monthly fee.
