The past decade has seen Microsoft move away from the classic console gaming strategy of producing exclusive games in favor of promoting itsXbox Game Passsubscription service. Xbox Game Pass has been touted as theNetflix for video games, and it seems Microsoft’s ultimate goal for the service is to bring it to as many platforms as possible. In fact, Microsoft is even trying to make Xbox Game Pass available to those who don’t even have a console or PC at all, as evidenced by its aggressive cloud gaming efforts.
Besides making Xbox Game Pass as easily accessible as possible, Microsoft has also made it a must-buy for anyone that owns an Xbox console.Xbox Game Pass receives new games on a regular basis, including brand-new, day one releases that make it practically pay for itself. It seems like the sky is the limit for Xbox Game Pass, and one analyst thinks that the service will explode in popularity once a major acquisition goes through.
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However, it’s unclear exactly when this will happen. Cloud gaming is not nearly at the point where it is a viable alternative to traditional gaming on a console or a PC. While Game Pass' cloud gaming functionality has earned some praise, it can’t quite match up to playing a game that’s downloaded on one’s console. There definitely needs to be some major improvements to the cloud gaming experience before it will be appealing to a mass audience, but once the technology gets there, it’s easy to see howXbox Game Passwould be an attractive option.
After all,Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzardwill mean blockbuster franchises likeCall of Dutywill come to Game Pass as day one releases, with the games presumably available to play through the cloud. That could be just the game changer Microsoft needs to take Game Pass to the next level, but fans will have to wait and see how it all plays out.
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