Reaction: Microsoft’s Constant Tweaking Of Xbox Game Pass Is Becoming Exhausting

Just pick a plan and stick with it

by Ben Kerry 7h ago

So, Xbox Game Pass is changing again. Following last year’s introduction of Game Pass Core comes a fresh replacement for ‘Console’ Game Pass in the form of Xbox Game Pass Standard – which sits just underneath Game Pass Ultimate. Keeping up? Yeah… it’s all becoming a bit exhausting to follow now, isn’t it?

Don’t get us wrong, we’ve long thought that the Console tier of Xbox Game Pass has felt like the unloved child of Microsoft’s subscription service lineup. The lack of online access, combined with how much more you get with an Ultimate subscription, has made it feel a bit pointless to be honest. And yet, the company’s latest tweak feels like it again misses the mark – especially with how vague the Standard tier is right now.

All we really know is that “some” day one games won’t be available straight away on the Standard tier, alongside the lack of EA Play and Cloud Gaming access of course. There are no hints as to what those day one games might be, or when/if they’ll be added later, just that Standard is a downgraded version of GP Ultimate for just a little bit less money each month. Seriously, did we need another Game Pass library to keep track of, Microsoft?

And this is the thing, even as some of the most engaged Xbox customers out there, we’re becoming exhausted with the constant changing, flip flopping and adding/removing of Game Pass options. A few years back, Microsoft tried to hugely increase the price of Xbox Live Gold before swiftly reversing its decision, and ever since then it’s felt like the team has been constantly meddling with Game Pass instead. Can we just pick a plan and stick with it? Xbox Live Gold was around for decades as largely the same service from the outset!

Now, we will admit that the general feeling around Xbox at the moment is probably contributing to our frustrations here. It’s not just Game Pass that’s constantly being shifted around – Microsoft’s entire Xbox strategy seems to be as well. ‘Case-by-case’ seems to be Xbox’s mantra with basically everything these days, and we’re really hoping for more clarity and stability moving forward.

Anyway, enough of our ranting here, we’d also like to know how you’re feeling about Microsoft right now and its shifting strategies with Xbox Game Pass – and beyond. Are you too becoming exhausted with it all? Are we overreacting to today’s news?

Come and let it all out in the comments down below!

Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox, and is a fan of action, racing and straight-up shootin’ in any Xbox game he can get his hands on. When he’s not clutching an Xbox controller like his life depends on it, Ben spends his time listening to music that’s far too old for him, watching football on the telly and probably eating somewhere.

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