Microsoft has announced a major change for Xbox Game Pass, which will take effect for some subscribers as of today, August 27. In a new blog post, the studio confirmed that it will be bringing its popular cloud streaming feature to its lower Xbox Game Pass tiers, which include Core and Standard. The change has yet to roll out for all subscribers, but those who are enrolled in the Xbox Insider program can test it out right now.
With new games and day-one releases added regularly, Xbox Game Pass remains one of the most lucrative subscription services in the industry. As it has become more and more popular over the years, Xbox Game Pass has evolved massively. In 2023, Microsoft did away with Xbox Live Gold and replaced it with the now well-known Core tier, which includes access to online multiplayer and a limited catalog of games for subscribers to access. The following year, the company created Xbox Game Pass Standard, which is currently the middle tier between Core and Ultimate. While these lower tiers may not seem as lucrative as Ultimate, Microsoft is making a big change that may make subscribers rethink that opinion.
Xbox Game Pass is Losing 2 of Its Best Local Co-Op Games on August 31
Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be losing access to two of the service's best local co-op games on August 31.
Cloud Streaming Comes to All Xbox Game Pass Tiers
In a new blog post from the Xbox Insider Team (via VGC), Microsoft announced some pretty major changes to the subscription service. As of August 27, those enrolled in the Xbox Insider program will be able to test a new update that will add Xbox Cloud Gaming to the service's Core and Standard tiers. Previously, streaming games was only available via Game Pass' Ultimate tier. Additionally, Microsoft says it is "expanding the ways players can experience PC gaming through Xbox Game Pass" and will now allow Core and Standard subscribers to gain access to PC versions of select titles.
As mentioned previously, these changes are currently only available for Xbox Insider program members, but they will be rolling out for all users in the near future. Unfortunately, a release date for when everybody else can check them out was not provided by Microsoft.
As Xbox Cloud Gaming continues to prove popular among Ultimate subscribers, this news likely won't come as much of a surprise to some. The change comes just days after Microsoft revealed that it was considering a "more affordable" service dedicated to Xbox Cloud Gaming (via The Verge). According to Microsoft's VP of Next Generation, Cloud gaming is incredibly popular. "One of the things we see is there’s a lot of players who use Game Pass Ultimate to access the cloud," the executive said. As the feature is so loved, it makes sense for the company to bring it to lower tiers and potentially draw in more subscribers to the service.
