Microsoft is reportedly working on a higher-tier Xbox Game Pass ‘Ultimate’ subscription.
First revealed by Twitter user ‘@WalkingCat’ and later corroborated by Thurrott and The Verge, the Ultimate subscription is said to combine Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into a single monthly charge.
Currently, it costs a total of $19.98 USD/month (versus $23.98 CAD in Canada) to subscribe to both services individually, but the Ultimate subscription will reportedly offer both as a package deal for $14.99/month ($20 CAD).
It’s unclear if Microsoft also intends to offer the Ultimate subscription in Canada at a similarly discounted rate.
However, the subscription appears to be another part of Microsoft’s ever-growing focus on digital games and services. The company has long been rumoured to be working on a disc-less Xbox One S console that will only play digital games — a system that an Xbox Game Pass ‘Ultimate’ subscription would be particularly ideal for.
According to The Verge, this console will be revealed alongside the Ultimate subscription later this month. As noted by Windows Central, this announcement may be made during April’s Inside Xbox episode, Microsoft’s monthly gaming news-focused livestream. A specific air date for this month’s show has not yet been confirmed, however.
Additionally, Microsoft has its Project xCloud games streaming service in the works, although little is known about the initiative at this time. The company is expected to have a big stage presence at the Electronics Entertainment Expo in June to reveal more details.
Source: WalkingCat, Thurrott, The Verge
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