I’m Worried Game Pass Is Killing Xbox

Xbox Game Pass has long been heralded as the best deal in gaming, and while that likely remains true, I'm growing concerned about its effect on the Xbox brand at large. By all accounts, Xbox should be firing on all cylinders; a landmark lawsuit victory against the Federal Trade Commission kept Microsoft's historic acquisition spree alive, this year's Xbox Games Showcase was packed with announcements to make it the best presentation at Summer Game Fest, and a new, lax exclusive strategy is beginning to make Xbox Game Studios titles more widely available. Xbox Game Pass, however, feels almost incompatible with the gaming industry.

For better or worse, we're in the midst of the subscription age. If I need HBO– sorry, if I need Max to watch every Sunday, why wouldn't there be a similar subscription to play every new game? For enthusiasts, and especially those predisposed towards Xbox's consoles, Game Pass is an incredible service. It has been the spearhead of Microsoft's gaming strategy for years now, though, and stagnating subscriber numbers won't save what appears to be a declining brand from the continual bloat of modern game development.

Almost exactly a year after the introduction of Xbox Game Pass Core, the service has once again seen a shake-up with new tiers and a price increase. While each level's name and benefits are unnecessarily obtuse – genuinely, laughably unsurprising from the company that brought you the Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X – the important new tidbit is that certain Xbox Game Pass tiers no longer entitle subscribers to day-one game releases. For most of Game Pass' existence, this has been the golden promise. I don't know how many times, after a new trailer debuted, I've seen Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer smile into the camera and assure me the game I've just seen will be on Game Pass day one.

From a consumer standpoint, Game Pass is almost a compulsory purchase if you own an Xbox and use it