Hypothetical Xbox ad-supported tier might clash with Xbox Live Gold subscription

An alleged survey from Microsoft was leaked on the video gaming forum ResetEra, showing the tech giant’s interest in introducing an ad-supported Xbox Game Pass tier. If true, the plan would be offered at a much more affordable price, but it would be pestered with a bunch of limitations apart from ads.

As one would expect, the limitations would cover the games users could play. Specifically, according to the survey, while it offers the exclusive library of games from Xbox, customers could only play first-party Xbox titles on the condition that their availabilities would be on delayed dates, which would be six months after their launch. The tier is also said to include the Xbox Live Games with Gold program, though it could be more impressive since it is incredibly limited, with only two Xbox One indie games a month. As for the ads, the tier would probably ask players to view them before starting their games.

This is not new in subscription services, with Netflix recently launching its own ad-supported tier “Basic with Ads” plan this year. However, it might be a very compelling topic now since it clashes with the company’s current Xbox Live Gold subscription, which costs $10 per month. Compared to the far cheaper cost of this “hypothetical” ad-supported tier that will only cost $3 per month, the future of Xbox Live Gold will be in danger. Some may argue that the revenue from ads is enough to compensate for this, but it might still be a risky venture for Microsoft. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the survey and the idea of the cheaper plan are just, well, hypothetical. Additionally, Microsoft, a giant company with remarkable experience in the business industry, knows whether it is worth the risk. With this, we’ll have to wait for Microsoft’s decision if it will push for it.

How about you? What are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comment section.