It looks like some big changes — or more specifically, some big additions — are coming to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Hint of the changes come the way of Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox and a big proponent of Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate, which Spencer insists have a big part to play in the future of Xbox. While the service had a slow start, it’s gaining momentum thanks to its incredible value and Microsoft’s robust support of it. However, to get the service to where Spencer and Co. want it, it needs to be expanded.
During a new interview, Spencer hinted at a “Platinum” version of the subscription service, and how it will intertwine with xCloud. Speaking about the latter, Spencer even suggested a TV streaming stick could be coming soon.
“I think you’re going to see lower-priced hardware as part of our ecosystem when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play via xCloud,” said Spencer while speaking to Stratecherry. “You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying the controller.”
At the moment, it’s hard to determine what here is a tease of what’s to come and what’s Spencer speaking purely hypothetically, however, we know streaming is a space Microsoft has been very interested in. Further, it’s also very interested in removing the price barrier of gaming, which could be achieved with a streaming stick and a Game Pass subscription.
That said, for now, take all of this speculation with a grain of salt. While it’s safe to say Spencer is teasing something here, it remains to be seen how it will manifest and change the Xbox Game Pass as a service. What should be noted though is that usually when a service is expanded, a price hike isn’t very far behind.
Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are both available via the Xbox One, PC, and Android devices, and soon both will be available via the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. In the most recent and related news, this week the service added one of its most popular games yet.
