Xbox Game Pass was announced yesterday, and it is a Netflix-like subscription service for Xbox One that gives members access to a catalog of free Xbox One and Xbox 360 Games. Microsoft today addresses some of the questions about the future of the Games With Gold program.
Microsoft has explained that both programs will run alongside each other. “Games with Gold and Xbox Game Pass are two different service offerings with unique benefits,” a Microsoft representative said in a statement to Kotaku.
“Games with Gold is an added benefit specific to Xbox Live Gold members that rewards players with two to four free games each month to enjoy. Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based service that gives you unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 backward compatible games for Xbox One for $9.99 USD per month. Xbox Live Gold is not required for Xbox Game Pass, however, Xbox Live Gold is required for multiplayer titles that are part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog.”
The Microsoft spokesperson also clarified that the Xbox Game Pass catalog will update every month, but only “sometimes” will games be removed. You will be able to play all of the games in the library for as long as you remain a subscriber. Should you choose to cancel your subscription or if a game is removed, save data is stored to your account so you can pick up where you left off in the future if you decide to re-subscribe or buy a game.
Xbox Game Pass is currently available on Xbox One for people in the Xbox Insider Program for testing (with a limited selection of titles) before it rolls out publicly sometime this spring.
Microsoft says it aims to stock the Xbox Game Pass library with titles across a number of popular genres, including action, adventure, shooter, puzzle, strategy and RPG. There are no more than 10 confirmed titles already, including Halo 5, Fable III, and Payday 2.
