“Game Pass and chill” doesn’t have quite the same ring as “Netflix and chill,” but Microsoft is joining Sony in providing a service for games that’s similar to the most popular cheap date/video-streaming app. The Xbox developer unveiled Game Pass, which will allow subscribers to select from over 100 titles and readily play them from their homes through the internet.
Launching this Spring, the subscription will work for Xbox One users for an unspecified “low monthly price” (Polygon reports it to be $9.99). There will be new game titles added every month with a starting lineup of over 100 selections. Though there’s no official list, the promotional images include Xbox staples like Halo 5: Guardians and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and as for fighting games, we can see Soul Calibur II HD and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 so far.
Unlike similar services, it looks like Xbox One users will be able to “download games directly to your console and play online or offline in full-fidelity, without any streaming or connectivity issues.”
Other benefits to Game Pass owners include discounts on content and Season Pass-related material for the downloaded games, but only while they are in the catalog. There’s no need to have an Xbox Live Gold membership to access the Game Pass, though it’s still required to play multiplayer.
Polygon also lists the following companies as those who are on board with providing games to the service: 2K, 505 Games, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Codemasters, Deep Silver, Focus Home Interactive, Sega, SNK Corporation, THQ Nordic GmbH, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and Microsoft Studios.
[Correction: removed erroneous references to Game Pass as a “streaming” service.]
Source: Xbox Game Pass, via Polygon