Microsoft is reportedly working to add a cheaper “cloud-only” and ad-based tier to Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft is reportedly considering adding more tiers to Xbox Game Pass.
That's according to Windows Central, who reports that the company is planning on introducing additional membership tiers to its subscription service, including an ad-based tier and a cloud-based tier, with the latter aimed at being "cheaper".
"I've heard that Microsoft is working towards a cloud-only version of its subscription that would be cheaper and more approachable to buy than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate," the publication said.
This new tier is said to be designed around users who don't want to buy an Xbox console and don't like upfront costs, but could also include the ability to "'double dip' by offering digital ownership of games within the service," - so they can play their games through the cloud and also own them digitally.
As for the ad-based tier, this is something Microsoft is "currently actively working towards" and could potentially be aimed at those who prefer not pay anything on Xbox Game Pass at all.
This report comes after Microsoft implemented new changes to its Xbox subscription service earlier this month by increasing the prices of its membership tiers across the board. The changes affected the most expensive Ultimate tier, and also introduced a brand-new Standard tier that will replace the Console version.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - who has been actively appealing Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard - recently submitted a new filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, calling the latest Game Pass price hike "consumer harm" and "product degradation".
These changes also arrive right before the apparent imminent launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox Game Pass, which will be followed by the day-one Game Pass launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
