Microsoft is reportedly considering adding more tiers to Xbox Game Pass.
That is according to Windows Centralwhich reports that the company plans to add additional membership tiers to its subscription service, including an ad-based tier and a cloud-based tier, with the latter said to be “cheaper.”
“I’ve heard that Microsoft is working on a cloud-only version of its subscription that will be cheaper and more accessible to purchase than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate,” the publication said.
This new service is reportedly aimed at users who don’t want to buy an Xbox console and don’t like the high upfront costs. However, you may also get the ability to “double-buy” games by giving them digital ownership within the service. This way, you can play your games via the cloud and own them digitally too.
As for the ad-based tier, Microsoft is actively working on it right now and could potentially target people who don’t want to pay anything at all for Xbox Game Pass.
This report comes after Microsoft rolled out new changes to its Xbox subscription service earlier this month, raising the prices of its membership tiers across the board. The changes affected the most expensive Ultimate tier, and also introduced a brand new Standard tier that will replace the Console version.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has been actively challenging Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, recently filed a new petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In it, the FTC calls the latest price hike for Game Pass “consumer harm” and “product degradation.”
These changes also come just ahead of the seemingly imminent launch of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox Game Pass, which will be followed by the launch of Game Pass on day one of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
