Years after its initial launch, Xbox Game Pass is at long last adding a family plan, allowing multiple accounts to be attached to a single membership. Game Pass has been a massive part of Xbox's overall strategy, even inspiring its competitors in the gaming world to emulate the model-- something that Xbox has cheekily called out.
Generally speaking, Game Pass has been a critical and commercial success for Xbox. The subscription service that lets gamers access a sprawling catalog of popular AAA titles and indie darlings has been a feather in Microsoft's gaming cap since its rollout and has continued to expand ever since. As Game Pass's library of games grows, so does its user base, as both novice and hardcore gamers have found the service to be a convenient and cost-effective way to try out a number of different titles. Game Pass is also tied to xCloud, a beta game-streaming service that grants users cloud access to a number of games via devices like tablets, smartphones, and laptops-- the Steam Deck can even run the Game Pass streaming platform. All these factors and more have brought a number of gamers to the Xbox ecosystem.
This community of Xbox players could continue to grow thanks to the arrival of the Xbox Game Pass Family Plan. Windows Central reports that Microsoft will be rolling out a Family Plan, which will allow members to connect up to five accounts to one subscription in exchange for a slightly higher fee. It is currently unclear how this Family Plan will involve PC players versus those using Game Pass on Xbox consoles.
Although some more information needs to be revealed about this new feature, it will certainly come as welcome news to many Xbox fans. Game Pass has offered special perks in the past, but this is likely to be viewed as one of the more significant changes to the service. Considering the fact that most mainstream subscription services like Netflix have long had some variation of this model, this news may seem long overdue for many users.
There's no doubt that this option will be cheaper than purchasing five separate accounts, but the exact cost remains unknown. For the family plan to be worthwhile, Xbox will have to offer an appealing price point to its consumers. Xbox Game Pass typically delivers when it comes to bringing value to gamers, so there's good reason to believe that this Family Plan will be a success.
Source: Windows Central
