Videos by ComicBook.com
The report from The Information, as noted by IGN, talks about new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and her plans for the subscription service. According to people who claimed to have spoken to the new gaming executive, Sharma wants to “make future consoles and products like Game Pass more enticing to a broader range of customers,” something that might involve “revamping pricing models to offer lower-priced tiers.”
The report also notes how Sharma has allegedly met with Netflix CEO Greg Peters and the two have “kicked around ideas” for subscription bundle. These would likely bundle some form of Netflix together with Xbox Game Pass, a practice common with video streaming services like HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, and Paramount+. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate already contains an EA Access membership, so this wouldn’t even be the first time Xbox has partnered with other services for Game Pass.
The Information also mentioned how Sharma met with indie game developers and other gaming executives to reassure them that she was trying to expand Xbox and not kill it. This calls back to a recent quote from former Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley, as he talked about how he saw Sharma as being a sort of palliative care nurse for the Xbox brand.
There Are Already Many Xbox Game Pass Tiers
The report does not detail what exactly Sharma has in mind to make Xbox Game Pass more affordable. A few video streaming services have tiers supported by ads and there are multiple other services like Tubi that are entirely supported by advertisements. It’s unclear how this would pertain to Xbox Game Pass, but, given Xbox’s penchant for putting ads everywhere, it’s possible Xbox would find a way. It’s also possible that there would be another cheaper tier that only includes cloud streaming.
