Back in July, Microsoft announced that it would roll out a new Game Pass tier called the Xbox Game Pass Standard. It was billed to launch later this year with no specific date given. The long-awaited Xbox Game Pass Standard launched on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
“This plan brings together features that players love about Game Pass for Console and Game Pass Core, while providing an additional option when you are deciding which plan is right for you,” said VP of Xbox Marketing Chris Lee.
Xbox Game Pass Standard was first announced in July when Microsoft made changes to the prices of its Game Pass tiers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) previously criticized the Game Pass Standard saying it is the consumer harm they warned about before the Microsoft Activision Blizzard merger.
“The Federal Trade Commission writes to alert the Court to Microsoft’s announced price increases in the multi-game-subscription and cloud-gaming markets, which the district court found relevant to the merger analysis,” the regulator wrote in a July court filing.
“Microsoft’s price increases and product degradation—combined with Microsoft’s reduced investments in output and product quality via employee layoffs —are the hallmarks of a firm exercising market power post-merger.”
Microsoft has tried to distinguish the Game Pass Standard from other tiers by emphasizing it offers a great “Xbox console gaming experience at a value”. However, it is important to mention that Game Pass Standard subscribers will not get games on day one of its release. The benefits offered by the Standard tier include:
- Hundreds of high-quality games
- Online console multiplayer
- Member discounts
To have access to day one release, players must upgrade to either Game Pass PC or Game Pass Ultimate. New games will only come to the $14.99 Standard tier after up to 12 months of release. The more expensive Ultimate tier also offers a cloud gaming experience.
“We continue to be focused on delivering the best gaming experience at a range of price points so players can choose the plan with the features that best fit their gaming needs and budget,” Lee said.
What difference does the Game Pass Standard make?
Costing $5 more than the Game Pass Core and $5 less than the Ultimate, what the Standard tier does is that it gives console gamers access to more high-quality games. Besides that, it is on the same level as the Core tier. The Ultimate tier is where the real difference lies.
Many will argue that it is more profitable to go for the Game Pass Core than the Standard since the difference between the two tiers is slim, and in our opinion should not exist. It is up to players to decide if getting access to more high-quality games on a console is worth the $5 extra or whether they can wait it out.
What do you think about the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier? Share with us in the comment box below.
